We thank You once again for bringing all of us together tonight in this place of
Yours at Your appointed time with this body of believers that You have made us
to be a part of. Father we thank you for this privilege in this blessing why do
we thank you for the opportunity again to be able to learn from you from your
word and about your truth about your will in your ways for us father we ask
Lord that the Holy Spirit in all of us our God all your believers father be the
one to give us the carroty of your message to open the eyes of our hearts
their guide in order for us to receive the truth that you're telling us opened
our minds Lord God give us the wisdom to understand what it is you're telling us
if I they're asking and that you override my preparations Lord guiding
let you and you'll know and speak your people here tonight and I pray father
for those who are lost that still needs to surrender their lives to you I pray
that this will be the evening that they will yield to that nudge that you are
giving them by your Holy Spirit but let you be heard that you be glorified that
you be magnified tonight in Jesus Christ's name we pray amen amen
ah so I almost titled tonight's message it's not you it's me but I said but not
for my sake but for yours not for my sake but yours we're gonna
see in this chapter in these next verses here we're gonna see Paul somehow saying
this without saying the exact words that everything that he wants to do and we'll
be doing for the Corinthian church and that he has told him is for their own
good and not even for his and I want to start tonight's message with this verse
if it will move alright Galatians 2:20 usually I use
this at the end of the message and pastor Julius did too but I want to use
it to begin I want to begin with it tonight
my old self has been crucified with Christ it is no longer I who live but
Christ lives in me so I live in this earthly body by
trusting in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me
why am I using this as an introduction tonight this verse is how we can
determine our spiritual maturity this is how this is when you know you've matured
in the faith if you can actually say that your self and your wants and your
desires your old sinful nature comes second there or to a point it's put to
death on the cross for Christ and Christ alone amen
this is when you see that you're gonna live the life you're now living is for
him that's when you know you've reached spiritual maturity and like I said
earlier as we will see in the next verses as we've read in the first and
second letters of the Corinthian church Paul has been all about their well-being
their maturity their growth in the faith to tell them in love with love with the
love of Christ through the love of Christ in him and overflows through him
he tells them not thinking about himself but he tells them what not to do or what
to do and all the time that's what Paul has been doing for the
Corinthian church and I pray I pray that we can all get to this level that we
could say no longer i but Christ the life that we now live is for him that
really is the goal of every believer that should be the goal of every
believer it's not what the world tells us it should no longer be what the word
tells us it should be what God because that's if we realize that we're
gonna enjoy eternal life that the person that saved us from the troubles that we
got into and we could get into because of our disobedience because of Christ's
doing and saving us we should be thankful and out of our gratitude we
will be giving ourselves for him our life for him it should be in the reverse
order no longer us no longer for us but for him I should be the goal of every
believer and we can see here in 1334 Paul speaking I will give you all the
proof you want that Christ speaks through me Christ is not weak when he
deals with you he is powerful among you although he was
crucified in weakness he now lives by the power of God we too are weak just as
Christ was but when we deal with you we will be alive with him and will have
God's power Paul with the love of God flowing through him in his life being
about Christ overflows with love for the believers in Corinth his line here
saying I will give you all the proof you want that Christ speaks through me
because again just for a review or for those of you who don't know what I'm
talking about here is because Paul was being discredited by the false teachers
that penetrated the Corinthian church and they are discrediting his
Apostleship now he's saying that I will give you all the evidence that you want
not for him not so he can keep his authority or that he can keep his
reputation not because he's watching out for
himself it's because for dirt growth so that they will stop believing these
false teachers so they can stop living the lie that these guys are telling them
it was all about them he's concerned for them not for him now again if you look
at Galatians 2:20 that's what Christ is if we want to live our lives like
we should be concerned for others and not for ourselves correct and but more
you're gonna go over just others you're gonna be concerned for God's business
you should be all about God's business not your business per se all the time
amen the young Christ the young Jesus when he was founding the temple when he
got lost and his parents found him his line was don't you know I'm supposed to
be about my father's business that should be our life's resolved believers
amen amen I like that strong a man love that quick amen because that should be
the that should be the response correct even if you are probably not living it
right now if you're hearing these words and the Holy Spirit is convicting you
this should be you know that your life how it should be now it should be no
longer for us but for him amen my wife and my son has they've been in the
Philippines if you don't know they've been in the Philippines for almost three
weeks and my wife is good at sending me everything that she's eating everything
that she's going you know the nice things you know she's keeping me up to
date at the same time she's trying to see if she can entice me and going no no
but I tell you for some odd reason I do not feel the need to go to the
Philippines I don't know why actually I do know I know there's work to do here I
know there's work to do here there's work to do and that my life should be
for Christ now it's no longer I who lives but Christ lives in me the life I
now live in the body I live for him who loved me and gave himself for me there's
nothing wrong with going home to the Philippines please don't get me wrong
there's something wrong with you come back and you have nothing for me
I'm kidding I'm kidding I'm kidding you know there's really nothing wrong you
going on vacation it really isn't anything wrong with that if it becomes
your life's goal you know her driving force if it becomes your purpose your
retirement your marriage your children your vacations the next big excursion
whenever it becomes whenever those things become more important than living
for Christ then it becomes wrong amen amen I can share somehow with Paul
sentiments here most of the time when there is a brother or sister that
questions what I have told them and what the Bible what God is saying about their
certain situation and they don't like what I told them they question the
question did the Bible really say that is that what really is that what though
that verse is really saying and I play with them I play with them to do their
own research I told to pray about it read about it go look into it not
because I want to be right in them and to prove them wrong it's because I want
them to make sure that they are following God's will so that they won't
be in trouble so I could see here that's why Paul said I will give you all the
proof you want Paul live this life for the Lord and through him and with that
love he gave his life for the people for the people the believers he planted so
many churches he lived his life he wrote many books that we are now studying his
life was all about helping other believers and bringing people to Christ
he did not waste his life for anything else but just for the Lord amen and that
should be our goal that should be our goal in life that we should be giving
everything that our brothers and their sisters need in order for them to grow
if we are the ones that goddess touch to help someone again I said if it were the
ones that God touch not because again you need your discerning spirit you need
to be praying about it you just because you have money you can just write the
check right that's the power of money it can't be about your sympathy he has to
be God's will when you help someone but then when God nudges you to help
somebody I don't know how but so in one way or another he should be ready to
give your all because first you're helping God first before you're helping
that person amen
you know the one mistake or the one mistake the one thing that I always
somehow discuss with believers in our church and somehow it's becomes an
argument or a discussion is about worship on Sundays people think some
people think that it's it's not important that you can worship God in
any place at any time which is true you can praise God and worship it in your
car amen on your way to Oregon or Seattle that's a long drive twelve hours
you'll be or shipping God for a long time in that car but there is a
importance in coming together every Sunday amen
it is that fellowship there's that sacrifice that you are doing for the
Lord I know then somebody will tell me what
God said you know obedience is better than sacrifice I'll go yeah it's a
command to all honor you know to remember to keep holy the Lord's Day you
know there's there's this is one thing that we take for granted worship on
Sunday together with other believers to be
encouraged and to be an encouragement to one another to hear his word and to
study him and his will in his ways you know there's there's such a great
importance and we neglect it we take it for granted and then we get in trouble
and then we can't try because how why because God has the megaphone in our
trials amen he whispers in our blessings but he's on
the megaphone in our trials because that's the only time we hear him does
the only time we actually want to hear him
God always speaks to his believers amen the question is are you listening
sometimes we're not listening I could be talking here right now you're thinking
about some other thing raise your hand if you isn't that the truth
that's what happens most of the time on verse 4 Christ was physically weak when
he was crucified on the way to the cross and in the cross he was physically weak
if you haven't surrendered your life to Christ just know that if God did not
need to die on the cross for your sins he would have not done it if there was a
way for you to save yourself from the fires of hell from the consequences of
your sins against him he would have not done it my question to you is if you
haven't surrendered your life to him the question is why you think you have a
better plan you have a better way or are you thinking that you're not gonna die
you're not gonna face judgment Christ was physically weak so he felt every
blow he felt every whip that whip that took skin off his body he felt every
pain everything for your sins in mind not for his you know I saw this this
coat from RC sprawl today and if you're active on Facebook you or you if that's
all you do you probably saw it he says why do bad things happen to good people
that's the statement RC sprawl said it only really happened once and that's
through Jesus Christ the bad thing happened to him because no one is good
no not even one the Bible says amen no one is good no one is righteous
no not even one so to him to you were sitting there and you haven't
surrendered your life to Christ I want to tell you that during that time he was
physically weak he felt every blow and this is what Paul is saying for him in
this team they were they were also weak they've been through a lot
physical pain and they don't have the strength basically to even deal with the
current in church again but because of their love for them they're gonna go and
Paul is confident that God will give them the strength that they need in
order for them to be empowered encouraged and corrected amen that's
what Paul's life was all about he didn't care about his weakness he knew Christ
was gonna empower him to do the work art God is alive and there she says about
the resurrection now Christ our Christ for us believers who surrendered our
lives to him you see this cross it's empty it's empty because Jesus our Jesus
resurrected from the dead amen he was dead he died on the cross he was
buried for three days but he resurrected our Christ our God is alive amen our God
is powerful amen amen the question is why are you living a
defeated life if we believe that our God is alive that he is powerful why do we
live our lives in a defeated manner against our tests and trials that we
face the challenges that we go through day in and day out if we believe in an
all-knowing God why then do we question him when things are not going the way we
want it to go Lord this is not what I had in mind when I prayed about this
Lord this wasn't Lord can you change this outcome where
we say he's all-knowing we know his wise but then we question him especially when
he turned the other way why do we not trust him when things are not going as
planned why do we continue to say I won't Lord I won't share the gospel
because I can I won't change my work ways Lord because I can't I'm weak I
told you Laurie that I'm a quitter I won't Lord I won't obey you Lord why
do we say that if we believe in an all-powerful God and an all-knowing God
in the guy that doesn't make a mistake why do we keep saying that from time to
time Paul reminds us not by our strength philippians 2:13 and philippians 4:13
somehow says or not somehow it does say the same thing for it is God who works
in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose it is god this
is 2:13 it is God who works in you in us to will and to act in order to fulfill
his good purpose now he doesn't violate our free will
once you surrendered your life to Christ you have the free will to obey Him or
not he doesn't force you or else you just be a robot it's your option but he
gives you he's the one who gives you the power and I can do all things through
Christ who strengthens me this is not just a nice shirt to wear guys this is
not this is not Steph Curry who said this although I know most of you heard
about it because of him but this is Paul saying this that he can do all things
through Christ who strengthens him this is before before this verse he was
talking about having little him knowing how it is to have little and not and
how to have much but he said he doesn't care because he can do all things
through Christ who strengthens him so we should be the same way shouldn't we if
we are trying to move if we are trying to grow in our relationship with Christ
if we are in a deep love relationship with the Lord shouldn't we be able to
say this - shouldn't this be our goal that we can say I can do this because
Christ will strengthen me if we're saying that it is no longer us who lives
in this Christ who lives in us then we can do it what is it believer what is it
and you are holding on to or what is your reason why you're not moving
forward with the Lord what is it Moses Gideon the disciples Paul and us
cannot do anything for the Lord apart from him that's John 15:5 if you've
taken experiencing God you've probably memorized it well let me take that back
not because you've taken the experiencing God study doesn't mean you
learned anything amen now because you're sitting in the class
doesn't mean you're learning anything correct ask brother Richard I am the
vine you are the branches if a man remains in me and I in him he will bear
much fruit apart from me you can do nothing so you want to do something for
the Lord or God to tell you to do something for him
and you're telling me oh no I can't oh yeah you can't you can't the other thing
is you won't you won't but if you are going to obey and you will do it through
Christ who is in you and you can do it
most of the time it's I don't want to Lord I Oh
I don't want to welcome over littler don't bug me all right that's how we
talked to God that's how we somehow minimize his nudge or his call we
minimize it to something less important than something everything else
Lord Lord he say Lord I have better things to do
learn I gotta go to work I have work Lord Lord that's my only day off Lord I
don't like that person anyway just burn in hell I don't want to show I don't
want to share the gospel to him he's been rude he deserves it
oh we're not saying that because that's not the Christian thing to say well us
not obeying the nudge of the Holy Spirit saying hey love on this guy share my
love team and you're like no it has been said that the Christian life is
impossible do we agree amen yes pop it is everybody else it's not
impossible for them only through Christ can we make it through in this
impossible Christian life because Jesus he elevated everything for us you know
the golden rule says right do unto others what others do unto you but then
Jesus elevated that by saying love your enemies oh my gosh love love your
enemies doesn't go together until Jesus said it amen love your enemies the Old
Testament said if somebody strikes you on your right you give them your left
cheek that's wrong
that's wrong that's been my biggest argument with the Lord and I first
became a Christian Lord no when he strikes me on my right I are giving my
left but that Jesus says remove that remove everything about you everything
that you've learned from the world and you have to now live for me
and I say no Lord oh Lord I know better Lord but I believe you
God says stay in your marriage no matter how difficult your spouse is if you say
and you say oh you can do all things surprises strengthens you right Jesus
tells us these difficult things why is it difficult because we want to do the
other right we wanted with made up our mind I'm leaving him he's stupid
to say the least right I'm done with her she keeps talking and then she tells me
I'm not listening I think Jesus says forgive you just love your enemies if
you see her spouse is your enemy well you're gonna have to love them sorry
boy he keeps making the same mistake over and over again jesus said forgive
Peter said if you wanted math Peter made it clear for us how many times Lord
Jesus said seventy times seven about the same thing now if you can count you have
a very boring life if you're gonna count it and then Paul a
God through Paul talk about love right love never keeps record of wrongs but
that's not our attitude especially Filipinos Philippines are getting
holding grudges I still don't like the guy that I had a fight in the high
school when I see him on Facebook now I'm not gonna bring you I'm kidding I'm
kidding no we're friends now but we hold grudges
not just Filipinos I'm sure I'm just making fun of us first well people are
good at holding on to grudges right thinking that we're gonna kill them
because we're bitter we're holding the poison they're drinking and we're
thinking he's gonna die anytime soon Jesus tells us we can do this we can do
all the things that he has told us to do through him who strengthens us if he is
in us and we're doing it for him we will be able to do it amen
anything anything that he has called us to do number one to be obedient to him
he says if you love me obey my Commandments so how can we obey His
commandments if he is in us that's the only way because his commands are heavy
his commands are are difficult because it's against our human nature if you
haven't figured that out you probably haven't been listening because God
always speaks to us which is not listening next point examine yourselves
still in Corinthians examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith test
yourselves do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you unless
indeed you are disqualified but I trust that you will know that we are not
disqualified let me first read this commentary by dr. david jeremiah this
passage is often misunderstood as saying that the assurance of salvation is found
within tests yourselves looking within will only reveal our
depravity and sin or dilution that we are not depraved and that we are not
sinful after all assurance that we are in the faith comes
from without through the Word of God the production of fruit that endures in the
change over time from corruption to righteousness in this final challenge
Paul did not as the Corinthians to look within to prove their own salvation he
asked them to find in their salvation of proof of pause or his Apostleship if
they were truly in the faith Paul's Apostleship was confirmed if they were
not their judgment could not be believed Paul trusted that when the Corinthians
tested their own faith and discovered it to be genuine they would discover that
Paul had passed the test as well basically saying if you truly are a
believer he's telling the Corinthians you have the Holy Spirit in you in the
Holy Spirit and you will be the one to confirm my Apostleship that's what he
was saying but then I want us to see the part where examine yourselves as to
whether you are in the faith I want us to look at this how many times do we do
this I told I shared this before word that
whenever I don't study which is most of the time when that was in school I hated
tests because I wasn't prepared I would sit right to the next the guy next to
the guy who studied then I will start wearing glasses and then I'll be looking
at his paper because I wasn't ready but we need to be examining ourselves we
need to be looking into ourselves asking us because we are the first
person to be judging ourselves our wheel being gone
or we not all right we're told not to judge others amen but we love to do that
we love doing that we love to judge others before we
actually look at ourselves Jesus said why worry about the speck in your
neighbor's eyes while you have a plank on yours but again I bring us all the
believers all of us who should be examining ourselves if we are truly his
testing or examining ourselves in our line of work is acceptable correct any
new business system that our workplace have placed in we're gonna test it first
correct and that's okay and it should be the same in our spiritual life examining
ourselves if we are in the faith should also be done okay how am I here again
the study of the doctrines as we brought up if you have no craving if you have no
longing to be with other believers you should be asking yourself okay why I
want to see other believers why am I not wanting to go to church why am I not
longing to read my Bible we should be asking ourselves these things why do I
feel so much hate towards this other believer instead of love we should be
asking these questions we should be examining ourselves as it is what Paul
has challenged the believers in Corinth because by examining by asking God by
meditation and by open heart examination and truly seeking God's will if you are
a believer the Holy Spirit will tell you he will answer you
amen he will reveal okay because you are sinning you're not making me your
priority that's why you don't want to go there we
have so much hate towards him or her because for you yourself you're sinning
against me you're making yourself the Lord of your life not me the Holy Spirit
will really want to tell us that if you're truly asking but there is a need
to examine ourselves Jesus said Matthew spent 20 therefore by their fruits let's
all read that last part you will know them so I'll read it again together
therefore Jesus was quite clear here don't you agree
many scholars argue about seeing fruits from a believer or not that's theirs
there's an argument should we be looking for should we be fruit finding or not to
determine someone's relationship with the Lord whether there should be
evidence or not should there be evidence in a believer for many years this has
been an argument up to now it's still going on I've said it before that in my
past life in the past I have justified my sins that were dear to me to me the
statement that I am saved no matter what I do I used it as a license to sit and
that's where the error comes in salvation is by grace and by grace alone
amen the work on the cross is complete and perfect amen now but a believers
mistake is to take that truth and continue to live a sinful life that's
the mistake nothing with the grace nothing with the cross it's the mistake
falls to the believer on how he abuses it and he uses it amen
I hope I'm clear with that if not I'm pretty sure I'm gonna get an email from
you or a phone call but go ahead and do so because I'd love to clarify it if I
wasn't clear I basically claimed that I love myself
first before that myself was the Lord not the God I just want him as my savior
I didn't want him as my Lord and wanted to keep many of the things that I was
doing that I knew was against God's will I spoke to pastor Julius a couple days
ago and a couple days maybe three or four and I I asked him of a lot of
questions but one thing that him and I really agree with this is this pastor
juice do you think if I obeyed sooner you think you would have had enough
strength to maybe open another church but because he was here for nine years
we were the longest church that he planted because it was 3:00 to 5:00
before he leaves again and this is what he said yeah you're right if you would
have just not past it all the time I would have left sooner than later he has
no more strength I feel bad about that because now I told him I asked him do
you miss preaching and right away he didn't even think about he goes no not
really and I go to you because I was working on
asking him to speak on our anniversary in October I said can you still travel
he goes I'd rather not plain simple and he doesn't miss preaching and I feel bad
because because of my disobedience I'm thinking this okay
I could not be right but I'm thinking this is these are my thoughts if I were
not selfish at that time if I wasn't selfish at that time if I would have
just obeyed God sooner than later there would have been another church that
passages would have planted another bully group of believers or unbelievers
would have been saved I'm thinking that but I know God will save those who are
his no matter what but it doesn't give was an excuse to not do our part because
I knew that to that God will save those who are his no matter what but I used
those truth to justify my sinful life and that's not the right thing when I
have my prayer is if you're going through the same thing justifying it
prolonging your call ignoring that nudge from the Holy Spirit I'm saying you're
missing a great privilege that God is giving you let's look at this in
Ephesians 2:8 10 all the believers have memorized eight and nine but I think I
think some of us have missed verse 10 the question here on the header' is to
remain or to change when we're saved by but by the grace of God are we supposed
to remain the same or are we supposed to change it says here for it is by grace
you've been saved through faith it is not from yourselves it is the gift of
God not by works so that no one can boast if you have not surrendered your
life to Christ and thinking of your good works you're trying to multiply good
works to be and have it look at this it is by grace okay it is by grace not by
works and look at verse 10 believers for we are God's handiwork created in
Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do us
means including you and me not just the people or the professional Christians
the guys would the stipend he's getting paid he should do it he has the title
he's a deacon he's an elder he should do it she's the women's ministry leader she
should do it no it's for us all of us if you include yourself here if you are a
believer you're in the family of God that's you too not just us but including
you it is very clear for me in plain English here
as English is my second language it's still clear
I can still understand it it's quite clear there is no argument the wins we
are saved by grace but we have to do good works there's no other way of
turning it if you think there is you're lying to yourself believers as Paul
Bartok to light the light of the Christian believers examining ourselves
with the help of the Holy Spirit will give us discernment will give us wisdom
and will give us the will to desire and the desire to obey God obey God - what
to do good works if you haven't done anything from the Lord if you have been
obeying God you're just losing the blessings that he has lined up for you
if you're continuously living a sinful life knowing that God tells you don't do
that you're done with that enough and you're gonna continue to be permissive
with your ways punishment will come
exfil on the point I'm gonna park it here okay they're like yeah you're
parked for 45 minutes already hey exams two 14 to 18 what good is it
dear brothers and sisters if you say you have faith but don't show it by your
actions this is James can that kind of faith save anyone and next verse 18 now
someone may argue some people have faith others have good deeds but I say how can
you show me your faith if you don't have good deeds I will show you my faith by
my good deeds amen amen some of us were just
Christians by profession our mouths I've heard this line before that some of us
our tongues are the only ones that gonna make it to have it at least a party is
there right if you can think about that cool at least one part of me because
that's all we're good at saying that we are saved by the Lord but our lives
don't reflect it our lives don't reflect it we call ourselves Christians on
Sunday but we live like you know Hells Angels Monday is our day and we wear the
vest emcee right but we have to challenge ourselves knowing this some
people have faith others have good deeds I will show you my faith by my good
deeds I mean it says here kid that kind of face save anyone if you're living a
contradictory life while people know you're a believer all the more you run
people are gonna be running away like I don't want to be like you that's what a
Christian is I'd rather not be a Christian similar to our love for God
that produces love for others faith in God should produce the fruits
of the Holy Spirit do we agree I guess not
okay maybe next week faith in God produce the fruits of the Holy Spirit if
we have faith if we accepted Christ as our Lord the Holy Spirit dwells in us
every believer has the Holy Spirit dwelling in us now there is a fruit
all right there's fruits of the Holy Spirit so faith in God produces fruits
of the Holy Spirit and now we say amen anything less
anything less is justification or stubbornness and denial of the truth
that we are all called to do and to be and what is that jesus said be holy as I
am holy be holy as I am holy still in James you say you have faith for you
believe that there is one God good for you even the demons believe this and
they tremble in terror how foolish can't you see that faith without good deeds is
useless are you hearing the words of God tonight if you have been living a
permissive way and not been glorifying God with your life I pray that you are
hearing his words just as the body is that without breath so also his faith is
dead without good works so also his faith is dead without good works just
because you didn't hear me the first time we say amen to this we tackled this
verse before but then we struggle right we struggle we struggle when the
challenge cup happens we struggle
the struggle happens when there's something that we want and God once
that's when this dursa struggle do we agree if everything is going well with
you there's no struggle there's no struggle well when there is something
that strongly you want to approach it differently thus when the pulling and
the tugging happens the surrendering part to God will not happen unless God
is asking something that you have or that you've always kept and he's saying
give it to me that's the only time you can surrender I must say that the
examination must start with us first only with God's God's love and for the
benefit of the brother and sister can we then point out a mistake or to challenge
them to examine themselves order action with love amen I don't want us going
around the room later and saying hey so listen did you hear earlier because you
haven't been know the examination starts with us and then in in love by God's
love if you really have seen a brother or sister falling into sin you must tell
them with love if you have justified your stagnancy or your lack of life in
your relationship with the Lord it is time to reflect on these words by our
Lord through James now if you see and find out that the problem to begin with
is that you are not in Christ then that is what you need to do first you need to
have Jesus first you need to accept him as your Lord first third point the world
is watching second Corinthians thirteen seven now we
pray to God that you will not do anything wrong you see that Paul is so
prayerful not so that people will see that we have stood the test but so that
you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed Paul and his
team constantly for all the believers in all the
churches just like when Jesus when he prayed for his disciples and how he
continues to pray for us John 79 I pray for them I am NOT praying
for the world but for those you have given me for they are yours we have to
pray for each other you have to pray for yourself
and then yeah we had to pray for each other because the challenge is
tremendous the challenge is great the world hates us the world tells us we're
boring we're stupid what our stand is wrong they are right
take the Bibles out guns go in and still we're talking about guns we're not
talking about Bible going in the funny thing is they took the Bibles out of
school right and then the it's not funny but the guns went in there and the
shootings happened but then where it gets where the Bible is by the
government prison prison so the only time in this country we can have a Bible
in a public setting that's paid by them is when you're in jail when it's too
late for some well he's God because that's the second chance for most of
them right amen we're the Chuck Colson the league Chuck
Colson was save in prison and some other great believers that are still working
there but that's what I'm talking about that's why we need to be praying for
each other because the world tells us we're ridiculous what do you talk about
pray pray why do you believe in a God that you can't see why do you believe in
fantasies science prove that there is no God Wow
you know we have to be praying for each other because we are in a battle that is
supernatural things that we can't see people that are in authority are against
our faith so what do we do we should be praying for each other
it's like Paul and his team it's like Jesus he prayed for his disciple
we should be prayerful amen again a Christian that is not a prayerful
believer is like a chef that doesn't cook get it get it no next time we see
here also that Paul again reminds of believers then at Corinth and us here
now that there is a need for prayer and that the people are watching us people
that are not in the faith are watching us actually baby Christians the new
believers are also watching the old believers not by age mm-hmm
well this is not good that we're not talking just pastor Charles here without
about everybody if you've been in the faith for a long time the new believers
are watching you there is he okay how am i suppo thats how she handled that oh I
guess I can keep my old self too we either we can either serve as a
stumbling block or a stepping stone to Christ for people amen amen
we're gonna close with this papers 12:1 therefore since we are surrounded by
such a great cloud of witnesses let us throw off everything
the hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with
perseverance the race marked out for us I know that's easier said than done if
we still have not completely surrendered everything about us everything about our
arts our sinful nature is gonna be a struggle our timeline for some are quick
to be obedient some takes awhile but regardless you need to change regardless
you need to obey grace it is by grace and by grace alone but there's work for
us to do if we shall have not completely surrendered everything our likes our
once our dreams our thoughts our right source
to the Lord Galatians 2:20 will be a struggle for you until these words
become real I have I have been crucified we've been killed you're dead put on the
cross and killed with Christ the other thing that would you know that love
relationship with the Lord cannot produce the love and compassion for
other believers or the wanting to do the right thing there's no you're not gonna
produce that we are responsible for our own actions whether you like it or not
we either become a stepping stone to Christ or a stumbling block to the
unbelievers Jesus said if you love me obey my Commandments the love got with
our entire being and to love others as we love ourselves if we love God we
believe him we trust him and we should obey Him and in our lives should be
about glorifying him and loving others
we should examine our lives regularly to see if there are sins we need to discard
or practices we need to strengthen don't make a theater production out of your
faith don't say watch me watch me stop the name-dropping right watch me watch
me is a call used on the playground not in God's kingdom silence the trumpets
cancel the parade enough for the name-dropping
if accolades come politely defect deflect them and before you believe them
slay the desire to be noticed stare the desire to serve God heed to the counsel
of Christ first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish that the outside of
them may be cleanse also that's in Matthew 23 26 focus on the inside and
the outside will take care of itself amen lay your motives before God daily
hourly we should be reciting this verse Psalm 139 23 to 24 search me O God and
know my heart try me and know my anxieties and see if there is any wicked
way in me and lead me in the way everlasting do good things for the Lord
Amen but just don't do them to be noticed you can't be too good for your
own good that's a reminder too because I know we talked about living a holy life
we could somehow be self-righteous and thinking that we've made it and then be
judgmental to others the question is when you examine your life this should
be your questions when you examine yourself
tonight are you walking with Jesus is how you live reflective of your faith
ask God to show you anything that needs to be changed
amen let's close in prayer father we thank you for your message tonight Lord
God father I realize how hard it is for most of us our got to just obey you with
everything especially with the things that we think were right Lord God and
your - asking us to do the other the opposite father you know better you know
all things our God and you are powerful and you love us but help us to trust you
if we haven't been trusting you help us Lord to obey you if we have been obeying
but most of all Lord God help us to love you more if our love for you hasn't been
that to that level that it truly needs to be helped us Lord God to live our
lives glorifying of your name and not shaming it help us for God to live our
lives for you no longer for us forgive us for our failures and lord I pray for
that person who needs your love I pray that this will be the evening that they
will surrender and yield to you I pray for healing for those who are sick and I
pray for restoration for those who have broken relationships or God when you
bless all your people here tonight in Jesus name we pray amen
you
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