Stand On This

Keep that clear, get a grip- He is God and we are not\\

Now knowing this there is a few questions that we should look at:

Why am I so worried?

Why do I doubt so much?

How come I’m so afraid to get out of the boat?

Answer: Not lack of faith- but doubt

This is something that can easily and quickly strike fear and worry into any heart

Some might say that it’s a lack of faith; I believe it starts out with doubt which in turn leads to lack of faith

Look at Matthew 14:26-31

The story of Peter getting out of the boat and walking to Christ

Peter’s faith wasn’t in question, if so he would have never gotten out of the boat!  What did cause the failure-doubt.

Jesus said, “come” Peter gets out and starts walking towards him.  The trouble happened when he looked away from Christ and saw only the waves and the wind- along with that I am sure he looked back at 11 faces in the boat with an expression of-is he nuts!!!!

Once his eyes came off of Christ-he began to sink

Jesus let him have it- “oh you of little faith, why did you doubt!”

Stand On This

No one will be able to stand up against you, all the days of your life.  As I was with Moses, so I will be with you, I will never leave you nor forsake you.

The Lord speaks to Joshua, yet these words are for believers today

Josh was being called to do a overwhelming task, yet he was a man willing to be used

This promise of God was just a onetime pep talk, it was and is a promise from heaven and it is sealed with Jesus Christ

God’s word proclaims this, we have to believe this

Its time to drive a stake in the ground so to speak, saying this is it, I believe and there is no turning back, period!

This message is about getting past whatever it is in your life that is hindering you and stopping you from taking a hold of the truth of God

Joshua was young and inexperienced for the task ahead, yet when God spoke these words to him that is what he was all about

Why/how? Because he believed it

I cannot convince a single person to accept this truth, but what I do know is that anyone who seeks Him with all their heart and soul, will find Him

Let God convince you Himself, look at a scripture which may be helpful to understanding this:

Ps 46:10 Be still and know I am God

This is one of the most misunderstood verses quoted. Many think that this is a calm, be still my troubled heart everything is going to be ok verses, but its not

Here God isn’t saying this to calm your fears, He basically is grabbing you by the shirt and saying, get a grip, you’re not in charge I am, so deal with it!

He is saying this with great force- Listen pay attention, take a deep breath- I am the Lord!

Let there be no confusion, no questions, let’s make this clear, I am God you are dust, are we clear???

For us to really understand what it means to have Christ on our side we need to know the order of things

Stand On This

1. Who Christ was
2. Who Paul wasn’t (not in charge)

Paul’s understanding of this brought him to the place where he could say that he had found contentment

Circumstances had no effect on him or his faith, the reason he had things in order

It didn’t matter to him if he was the “haves” or the “have not’s”, he wasn’t interested in one upping someone

He had nothing to prove to this world at all, he simply wanted to be a servant of Christ

Contentment for Paul went from both ends of the spectrum, want or plenty, hungry or well fed- it didn’t matter-his heart was standing in the right place.

• Note: having your heart in the right place isn’t always as glamorous or comfy as one might think, but no matter-its right!

Prime example of people wanting more than they can afford- looking for contentment- interest only loans.  Boy how well did that work out??

People weren’t content living in a place they could afford, they wanted more and had more for 5 years until the fine print came to pass.

I guess this shows us where we look for our fulfillment, here’s a question-“who completes you?”

Phil 4:19 Paul’s blessing

And finally

Phil 3:20 & 21

Stand On This

May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.  Keeping your whole spirit, soul and body blames at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24. The One who calls you IS FAITHFUL AND HE WILL DO IT!

What a proclamation

God is faithful, He is faithful to:

His word

His promise

& to those who seek Him with all their heart

What He has said He will do, in spite of what we think

Even when man, including us at times, think God has failed, we can through faith know that God has a plan and He is faithful to His word

Now back to Phil 4:9

“put into practice and the God of peace will be with you”

To better understand Paul; his confidence as he writes this, you have to move over to v. 11-13

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content in whatever the circumstance

I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want

I can do all things through Him who gives me strength

Paul announces to us all the secret of living a life in Christ-not just one of getting by, but one of overcoming

This blast away at the mentality that Christians should get all of what they want, not true, Having true peace even when you think God hasn’t come through is where we must get.

Stand On This

We continue to look at what really is the one thing that we can stand upon in this life

Left off last week with Paul writing in 1 Tim 1:15-16-that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom he was the worst

Paul’s not mincing words here, he’s for sure not holding back.  He is saying that his life wasn’t made right until he met Jesus Christ

His failures before Christ are now gone, his life is now new because of what Jesus Christ has done in his life.

His life has now become a billboard for all to see Christ living within him

Paul is saying, here I am the worst of the worst yet because of Jesus, His life, His cross, His death and His resurrection-I am new!

Paul’s purpose in all of this

1. Glorify God
2. Be a living breathing example for all to see

Paul knew what to stand on

He knew what would last- Question, how about you????

Phil 4:9-“Put into practice”

It’s time to leave behind our religion and manmade traditions, many of which have absolutely no biblically basis

Its time we start living as children of the King

“and the God of Peace, will be with you”

Jehovah Shalom- the God of peace, that’s who He is, that’s what He is all about

Understand though there are “guidelines” to receiving all this.  You cannot just go out and live your life the way you want and think that God is just going to bring you peace even though you want nothing really to do with Him.

We always want things that are free, never really getting it that things that are free never measure up to the things we had to fight for.

We always want without:

Sweat, strain, struggle, going through hard times, and basically doing nothing and getting everything.

We always, want, but with no strings attached

News flash: God really doesn’t give a rip about what we want or how we want it

You want to grow in God then stop telling Him how you want Him to fit your life, instead start asking Him how to fit your life to Him!

Look at who and what the “God of Peace” is all about

1 Thess 5:23

1. Sanctify you through and through
2. Keep you, mind body soul and spirit

Stand On This

Phil 4: 8 & 9

Paul was a man whose core was changed the moment he met Jesus Christ

Once this happened everything changed including what he focused his attention and life upon

Phil 4:9 “Put into practice” and then the peace of God will be with you

Put into practice:

No lip service

No mouthing it here

This is taken the printed word of God off a page and applying it to your heart

Takes you from just believing to acting

Your life now follows Christ, and then follow Him!

He paid for your salvation; therefore your heart will do what ever it needs to for His cause

You will not just have a label because labels are worthless, it will be your life.

This takes you to the place where just “knowing” isn’t enough

Paul says, head knowledge isn’t  enough, this will not bring the peace that your heart is looking for.

Your faith has to get to the place where it says, “I believe, period!”

Not a easy journey, not one easily attained:

• It takes time
• It takes work
• It takes determination
• It takes commitment

Paul knew the cost the counted the cost and discovered what we all should, all of this isn’t that much in comparison to the cost Jesus Christ made on the cross.

Read 1 Tim 15 &16

Stand On This

Left off last week: Phil 4:9 & 1 Corinthians 11:1

Paul’s life had new direction after he came to know Christ

His life also became distinct as should ours

Paul took a lot on when he wrote these passages

He laid his life on the line for all to see

He was bold enough and confident enough in Christ to allow his life to be examined, judged etc by people.

Why? So that people might see Christ in him

We need more people like this today, those not afraid to allow the light of examination to shine on their lives, know that no one is perfect, but that you’re striving as Paul did towards Christ.

We need more people who are not afraid of the thought:

1. You might go it alone
2. People will turn their backs on you
3. Ridicule will come and so will having to say sorry without excuse when you mess up

Imagine if the majority of people today in churches would be solid in their faith enough to say the same thing

We must not worry about not fitting in, blending in, being a “friend” to everyone.

This all changed the moment we accepted Christ, because Christ didn’t:

• Fit in
• He sure didn’t blend in
• He for sure didn’t compromise who He was so he wouldn’t offend

Paul wasn’t saying that he was perfect and that he did it right all the time, but what he did know is he was striving/straining toward the prize ahead.

The fact that Christ was now Paul’s center is the reason he lived.

Stand On This

Left off with Phil 4:8

Pick up today with: Phil 4:9

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me PUT INTO PRACTICE and the peace of God will be with you.

First part: What’s Paul saying here? To understand better you must see what he’s not saying

He’s not saying: that he is perfect, that he has it together all the time.  He isn’t being arrogant or boastful

Not at all-Paul is giving us truth exactly what we should be giving the world

Christ

1 Corth 11:1-Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ

Paul’s goal in life was to pursue Christ, always striving towards the things of God

His “center” had been changed on that road to Damascus-no long Saul but now Paul

His life as well as our lives, should have

1.  New direction
2.  distinction

Christians need to be distinct-that means the old ways of life are no longer in existence in a believer