|
weekly sermon 8-16-09 Stick With Me
Over the past several weeks we have been doing a series about the Holy Spirit and how it plays a part in our lives, Jesus and His role in our salvation, and God and how He fits into all of this. We have learned that God is the great Father in Heaven, that Jesus came to us, as God in the flesh, to die and raise again to offer us salvation, and the Holy Spirit coming to cement our salvation and mind to be like the mind of God.
Last week we talked about God being in control of our lives. We learned that God was in total control of our lives, whether we wanted to admit it or not. We learned that we are not in control of our lives at all. We learned that if God is not in control of our lives then we are controlled by sin. Now I wanted us to talk about the title of this message. If we allow God to be in control of our lives, how will we know He will stick around for us?
Will, or even can, God stick with us? This is a question that is asked very frequently by many. They may not ask the question in this manner but in the back of many minds folks wonder many times if God is still truly with them.
To find the true answer to this question we will, of course, turn to the Bible. Turn with me to Romans 8:31-38, "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? (32)He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? (33)Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. (34)Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. (35)Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (36)As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. (37)Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. (38)For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, (39)Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
I want us to take a look at what we have just read. This is an argument that Paul is having concerning our relationship with God and visa versa. The first thing I want us to notice is in verse 31. Paul writes, "if God be for us...". The particle "if" is not really translated correctly. The original word "EI" once translated shows a conclusion, not a condition. What I am trying to show everyone is that if you truly translate the word EI then the sentence would read, "since God be for us...". Why is this important? It is important for us to notice that there is no "if" in whether God would be with us. The word "since" shows us that God is with us at all times.
Now once we read the sentence in a new way, we can see that with God being with us, there truly is no one that can be against us. Take a look at the male figure here on earth that was responsible for your being brought into this world, there is nothing that he would not do for you, you being his child. I have done several a message referencing that very same thought. This male figure, dad, would do anything in the world for his child and such is the case for our Heavenly Father, even more so. We have a God that gave up His ONLY Son that we may have life with Him and have it more abundantly. Since God sent His Son to die for us, so that we could be saved, then that should show us that there is nothing that God would not do for us. Just as it tells us in verse 32, He that gave His own Son and delivered Him up for us, how could He not freely give us all things.
Now look at verse 35. There is a question asked here. Who is it that shall separate us from the love of Christ? This also includes separating Christ from us. Paul shows next in the latter part of verse 35 what some folks believe can separate us from the love of Christ. Paul gives examples such as; tribulation, or sin, distress, persecution, famine, being naked, being in peril, or even a sword. It is really obvious here that many folks have attempted to give these circumstances as example of how God would abandon us, or that we would lose the love of Christ. Look in verse 36 at how Paul argues his point. We are killed in the sin of the flesh daily, or should be, and we are considered as sheep for a slaughter. God, as it has been shown in the Bible many times, is called the Shepherd. Now with Him being the shepherd, we are His flock. If we are the flock, then we can see how we would be accounted for as sheep for the slaughter.
Paul then shows that even if all these things he had mentioned were to arise, we could rise above them and conquer them because of Christ, who loves us.
Now Paul writes the words God gave him to deliver to us concerning his feelings about separation with us. Paul starts in verse 38 by saying he is persuaded, or caused to believe by God, that no matter how terrible, how wrong, how bad, how good, how big, how small, how high, how deep, or whether it be any other creature, man or animal, there is nothing that is able to separate us from God.
I do not want anyone to feel bad for having these thoughts because the greatest of the greatest had the exact same thought. Jesus Christ Himself ask God this very same question. Matthew 27:46, "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Jesus is asking here, why have you separated from me? God separated Himself from Christ for that brief moment, at the time Christ was dying, to allow Christ to die that He may defeat sin and death. As soon as Christ had risen, He was fully aware that God had never truly forsaken Him. We, as Christians, should kill our flesh daily to sin. 1 Corinthians 15:31, "I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily." As you can see Paul is saying that he dies daily. What he means is, he kills his sin daily, the sinful flesh.
When we kill our flesh daily, or die daily, then we are putting ourselves in the same mindset as God. We become closer and closer to God with the more sinful flesh we discard.
Ok now for the true test. Has anyone answered the question that we have asked here? The answer is, there is NOTHING that can separate us from God's love or visa versa. One can be separated from God however. The only thing that can separate you from God is YOU. God will never leave us or forsake us, however, if we feel there is a distance between us and God, it is because WE moved, NOT God.
Our assurance of God’s love is dependent upon our relationship with Him and knowledge of His faithfulness. If we are strangers to Him, then we will resent any interference in our lives. But if He is our Father, we will desire to be close to Him. We must remain in fellowship with God in order to realize His faithfulness to us.
The last paragraph really sums it all up for us. If we want to remain in the faithfulness of God and really feel His love working in our lives, then we MUST remain in a true fellowship with Him at all times.
Do you feel a distance between you and God? Do you feel the love of God is not around you at all times? If for any reason you believe that you are not in the full love of God but you would like to know this feeling, all you need to do is say a simple prayer with me.
Say this simple prayer with me, Dear Lord, I want you to be the Lord over my life, forgive me of my sins, and give me the gift of everlasting life. Amen.
If you have said this simple prayer, then we believe that you have received salvation. We would love to rejoice with you, so please drop us a note, in our link, to let us know and confess Jesus before man, so that we may send you a few things that we hope will help you in your new Christian walk.
With Love in Christ,
Pastor Stone
|
