22/10/17
Amazing how dogs it should be amazing cuz it happens every week have the lines up the song service with the message.
Who played in that last song George Strait?
But still my message all right now. I am going to do something a little bit different today not too different, but I'm going to break the take stuff into a couple of pots through the message and I'll try also actually probably take most of the time and my guy cuz it's a lot to get through. Sorry, if you like to turn your Bible this morning too, sick and Corinthians chapter 4. 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 verse 1 through 218
2nd Corinthians 4 chapter 1 that's all right, except for this one. Deadpool seeing we have this ministry as we have received messy. We faint not but ever announce the hidden things of dishonesty not working and craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth committing ourselves to Every Man's conscience in the sight of God. But if I gospel be hid it is hit to them little lost in the God of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not less the light of the Glorious gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine on to them for we preach not ourselves. But Christ Jesus the Lord and ourselves your siblings for Jesus's sang for God who commanded the light to shine out of the house to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, but we have this treasure in Earthen vessels that the Excellency of the pal maybe of God and not of us we are troubled on every side yet not distressed. We are perplexed but not in despair persecuted, but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed. Full weight-bearing a bath in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body for Wii which lifts are always delivered unto death for Jesus say that the life will serve Jesus mighty manifest and I'm mostly flesh. So then that worketh in us but life and you we having the same Spirit of Faith according as it is written I believed in there forever spoken. We also believe in there for speak knowing that he was raised up the Lord Jesus shall rise up as also by Jesus and show presenters with you for all things up for your sakes that the abundant grace my through the Thanksgiving giving of many rebounds to the glory of God. Which cause we faint not but the outward man perish yet. The inward man is renewed day by day for our light Affliction which is but for a moment before I was a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory while we look not at the things which are seen But at the things which I'm not saying for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen our eternal life. Dear Lord, Jesus Lord. I Thank you for the opportunity. We have together here this morning go to to to dig into yogurt this morning Lord. I Thank you for the hope that you've given us in Christ. Jesus Lord. I blessed salvation. Lord I pray and I see you just have your hand up on everything that is said and done here this morning all that you would be glorified Lord that you would use me as you want me to send you here this morning go to speak your words Lord to give you a truth so that you would shine in the hearts of men Lord and deliver your message Lord Jesus. I thank you that we can come here. It's just such a blessing more together here with other believers and to Worship You Lord. I pray these things and you and I am the Lord Jesus Christ a wonderful Risen Savior and hope I mean
Alright so I can take Shirley here.
Hold is continually dealt with a tax in his ministry from Ryman V by the Romans throw in 2 Corinthians and fats a good portion of the wolf of pool is dealing with a text his ministry. Attack on him specifically and what he's teaching and sorry. When we hear pool say things like he counts all things joy in the tribulations. It goes through is Joy always read them. And I'm so encouraged and and and amazed his face and testimony that he could count these things Joy when you know, I feel that if it was me in that situation either given up a long time ago.
Now he was able to stand like that because if it's personal hope the hope that he had in Christ Jesus the understanding he had of his salvation.
See a personal hope help says to not be hindered when ex accusations, it helps us to stand strong in the face of tribulation and trials.
It helps us in an Idol starts to preach in the gospel of our life.
It helps open our eyes to the world around us.
See we must get off Foundation, right? The foundation of our work a Ministry cuz we will have a Ministry. It's not just to do I pass the robot each and every single one of us has a ministry here on Earth will lift kit for a reason for a purpose. I don't know. I've preached that probably in just about every message. I preached so far and sometimes I I asked the Lord. Why does he keep bringing me back to that same thing and I'm still not sure yet. I know a big part of it is that I'm not living it the way I know I should still with myself. I don't know that I'm a constant struggle as Christians is to live salvation fully and holy so that nothing and I'm not talking about standards or fake Christianity. I'm talking about loving people. I'm talking about being there and supporting people I'm talking about giving the gospel. I'm talking about pointing people to Christ, which is our purpose.
None of this is part of my message. So sorry, I guess the first time is the hindrance that we have if we are shamed of the gospel Paul mentions this right in the very beginning of Corinthians 4 and the first person
in the context of the festival versus day therefore seeing we have this ministry as we have received messy. We fight not but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty not working in craftiness not handling the word for deceitful manifestation of the truth by living the gospel by not being ashamed but not hiding the gospel the truth that we have within us here announced that's even amidst all of this persecution all of these problems. He was able to stand strong on his heart. Sorry.
When we talk about being ashamed of the Gospel that something that I can think of many times am I on Christian walk. Where will I will tell the gospel to people but I wouldn't necessarily tell people the gospel when I was at work because that might be crossing a work line and some work environments it would be I realize that there were times in my life where I would actually be ashamed of the Gospel unintentionally, but it would be there now that's being ashamed of the Gospel stems from a lack of belief see if we truly understand the hope that we have and the insignificance of the time we have here on Earth will the shortness of the time we have here on Earth that it is a Viper small amount of time in comparison to Eternity. We wouldn't be worried about how people think how people would react to the gospel weather in employer would be would be happy with us for sharing the gospel to someone and so we tend to censor myself and that is a big thing for Christians. It's was a big thing for me. And since you're not sell seat with this PC world, we live in it's not it's not a good thing to not believe in God. It can often, you know, I put you out for a lot of hassle. That's for sure, but it's not considered PC to stand for God because God stands against Ansari.
I would think to myself is Christian and that's something that we all at some point potentially will struggle with their times where we sent to ourselves and pull I get through this entire check to an effect through all of his work so far special spend a lot of time in raw almonds lightly Thanks For What and when you go through that wasn't things to do. He's just telling you to be he's telling you to be who you are you my redeemed in Christ Jesus, you are a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ and all he does for his ministry is B and that's I guess the call that I have till today is to be not do the be because from being from belief comes faith in from that fight infection in my life. We must deal with the opposition that comes from the lack of belief and therefore faith in our life. And the way we do with that is to give that ground to God is to spend the time in the world is to be what God has called us to be. Now note there invest for and whom the God of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not lets the light of the Glorious gospel of Christ. Who is the image of God should shine on to them?
Don't be part of that blinding process because we often have a blinding post-process.
Juanita interesting lie here as we get on through the scripture if if you just quickly looked at the best 6 for God who commanded the light to shine out of Darkness have shined in our hearts. Say Satan blinds the mind but God knocks on the heart. Calls the Heart. Little freebie ahead of time day of faith and belief in God then preaching in verse 5 here. It says for we preach not ourselves. But Christ Jesus the Lord and ourselves your servants for Jesus sake see Pool isn't preaching himself. He's not trying to convince you have his own opinion. He's preaching the gospel of God is Not preaching of philosophy. He's not preaching politics. The Red Top means nothing the gospel the truly only message that we as Believers need to be focused on. Because from the gospel, you might save all the gospels very simple. It just salvation. The gospel is so much more than salvation. The gospel is how we treat one another the gospel is how we treat the lost. It's how we respond to the lost it all tied into the gospel. Sorry pull and his fellow servants there in Corinth.
Are refusing this argument see in the in the beginning there where it talks about if it's too. Have renounce the hidden things of dishonesty not walking in craftiness deceitfully. He's he's saying I'm not twisting the word of God to say something but it doesn't say and that was one of the biggest problems being with the the pharisaic or Viewpoint is that they couldn't see that Jesus was the Christ I could see Christ but they refused to accept that Jesus was the Christ and so they felt he was twisting the word of God to support his argument and And he's refusing that he sees standing against that and continuing to stand against us.
now perception our eyes opened this 6 for God who commanded the light to shine out of Darkness has shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Christ the light of the world is Sean into IHOP revealing to us. The truth of God's word and this is an amazing hope that we have it's part of our hope that we can rely on and Trust in is that the Holy Spirit through Christ through through reading his word will show us the way show us the truth. Power so a personal heart gives us power the 7 but we have this treasure in Earthen vessels that the Excellency if the power may be of God and not about the panel that we typing into is Christians are bility to stand for righteousness will stand for God doesn't come for myself. It comes from Christ. We are in Earthly vessels and as we get to the second part of the text a little bit later, it talks about that, but we are in Earthen vessels we made from dust. And gold wants to be so much through as but the power is Gold's and we should remember that. Sorry. It's not all about us. We must remain humble and not Declaration of the Gospel. He shown the light he called us to himself. He sustains us he redeems us and he will fix us and these are all elements of the hope that we have in Christ Jesus.
I thought was studying for this message and struggling with the text a little bit because when you think I'm preaching on hope you don't really necessarily think of Corinthians. Doesn't really strike you as the the chat, you know the best chat to deal with her and hope it's been a really big thing in my in my heart and in my life for the last couple of weeks because not because I've been going for any particular struggle, but we have a very linear view of our relationship with God and we are imagine what is to come in and it's a really glorious thing to think about what God has saved us because he hasn't just saved us so that we have eternal life. Tell me about to explode past that point. Have you thought about The fact that happened to be in new Apple things will be made new. Have you thought about that fact and imagine what that will entail? Have you thought about animals? We know it'll be horses. But have you thought about the wrist if God renews the Earth God makes everything new? Why wouldn't he's created in the first place be made new. Sorry, I mean theologically does argument each side of it, but there's nothing wrong with thinking about it dream it at this is the bright hope that we have in our life that we will be redeemed that we will be with Jesus and then we will be in a new Heaven and a new I don't want to encourage you to die. I don't want this to be a message. Where is a drama on for 45 minutes about how it we should be doing something. We should we should be living a life of more testimony or witnessing the gospel more. That's not what this message is intended to be perceived as anyway. I want to encourage you to to apply the hope that we have because that is where the true power of our Christianity stands with its where it comes from is from the heart that lies within us and that's how we can see what pools doing here and we can we can we can have that power to stand if if we allow ourselves to be a missed in that hope
As we break into the Civil the next part of that passage. So the First full vs Stoke not raining in Riverside. We have we are troubled on every side yet not distressed. We are perplexed but not in despair. We have troubles problems disappointment, but we don't quit and give up we may be knocked down. We may be knocked out but will be knocked out by a crossed will help us to rise each time with the purpose that he has for us. I spent my career in doing security them. I spent a lot of time. Nothing. I did a preaches injury yesterday. I hurt my arm. I feel like I'm bugging me.
That wasn't because I was practicing in training for great teacher something follis. I'm working in the industry of security so security industry, and I spend a lot of time doing
styles with that career that I've had for the past 20 years
But in supporting sales teams and also as a spouse the manager of a sales team myself.
17 years ago. I left 84 year. I'd had enough of the bureaucracy and and and and the corporate environment and I left very quickly and that's why I respect any salesperson.
Nothing to lose. Is it a fun task? anyway I've never eaten alive animals chasing you. All right by the door knocking environment is like a Christian Life on 20 Doors. I might get asylum. In fact the stats back in the in the late 19th was about 14 North to get us out. That wasn't too bad. The problem was they don't tell you in the training center South it's a hundred knoxx knoxx knoxx. It's not a nice progression where you can be encouraged every time you go out and I tell you there are times where I've gone home after a day of doing nothing and I felt worthless I fell Useless. I thought I cannot do this. I've had people laughing at me swearing at me. I've had dogs I've walked but one particular time. As I was walking out I was with a friend. I was doing nothing with a with a friend this particular time, which is which is a little bit more encouraging cuz he can laugh about the situation business. And as I'm walking through the gate. Now I can see the foolishness of it. I'm walking past the chain. I'm not thinking twice about it and the dog that was going crazy at the fact that we walked into his property. I'm walking along walking along the walking along and he's not stopping this dog. Anyway, the dog decides the outcome far enough and he's now going to start coming towards me and that's okay. I stopped backing up. I'm thinking and then I hear behind me and I backed up pretty quick inches avoided a very nasty dog experience. All right, but that's the kind of knocking out of here. Maybe just the fact that
But I Christian walk is like this we will get knocked down. We will get chased off because our adversary the devil walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. We are in a spiritual battle. So don't think it's going to come easy. It's not it's going to be a hundred Knox 100 conversations, but I can tell you the advantage of
working for the Lord and working in the Lord Ministry and this into life if you really want to get technical so as he's being argued with debated accused and his ministries being stopped on all sides by these the stubborn Jews at the time and he's still not discouraged through this but even in jail, he's not discouraged through this why because he has a belief and faith and understanding of the hope that lies within us.
Persecutions bestnine persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed.
We must never forget that we are in a spiritual battle. We really are. I often wonder sometimes if we could see the battle that is around us how it would affect our Christian walk. How would it affect our life if we could have see the actual battle around us? I'm in the five or six weeks between preaching live go so smoothly if it's all preaching date set everything goes smooth the moment youth groups back on and I'll go to prepare lessons to give to the youth things coming out of the woodwork, you know, if of causing problems site and tries to distract us, we need to recognize it as that But we serve a mighty God who is far greater than the enemy. Now I hope is in it says always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. Alright, I'll get you to turn off the Galatians chapter 6 in verse 17 with me, please.
full size sheer licensed 6 verse 17 he says From henceforth let no man trouble me for I be in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. What are the marks? of the Lord in a Christian Life and this is now why I was nervous. It's in 1st Thessalonians.
1st Thessalonians chapter 5 I'm going to start reading the best nine.
The beginning preacher always struggle with shorting out the text. I feel like we do you start and stop that, you know, you start reading it yet. But I'm going to end up with the text was too long to read at the very beginning by the way. How do you stop before? I know it operate on another page because it's good sound for us. You know, we need to have a love for the word of God. We need to be absorbed in this word. For God has not appointed as to Rammstein verse 9 but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us that whether we Wyckoff sleep we should live together with him wear for Comfort yourself together and they defy one another even as also you do and we beseech you Brethren to know which labor among you and her over you in the Lord and it must you enter a steam them very highly of love in love for their website and be at peace amongst yourselves. Now, we exalt your brother-in-law on them. They're on Rulli Comfort the feeble-minded support the week be patient woman see that none when the evil for evil onto any man, but ever follow that which is good both among yourselves and to all men Rejoice pray without ceasing you want to know what the will of God is here. In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ. Jesus concerning you you want to know the will of God that the secrets to knowing the will of God is right there in this 18 and everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ. Jesus concerning you quench not the spirit despise not prophesying prove all things hold fast that which is good abstain from all appearance of evil and the Very God of Peace sanctify you wholly and I pray gorgeous your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is so much this is this is a messaging and all that self actually. So it starts there that we should comfort and it if I won another.
Stop in.
The first living cells together and edify one another one of the Marx. Of the Lord in the Christian Life as it we Comfort one another. We have to be under Authority. This is what time is that? God brought the scripture up because we have an endowment. I'm we have to be under Authority. We have to pray for the panels that be over you it's a scriptural command that we pray for our government. We need to be under the authority of a teaches students. Which is everybody?
When is the under the authority of our employees? You want to show the marks of the Lord and I life. How about being in a thority under the authority of your employer and I pasta.
winter warm the lost at Cinemark of the Lord Jesus in our lives which Comfort the feeble-minded now defined that's mentally deficient or foolish.
What does support the wake and this is a big category. Actually, there was so many definitions of this word that I just picked 3/4 supporting awake just from the very offensive liking in strength. Not able to resist leading or lagging judgment support the weak be patient with all men and now it doesn't mean mean women and children. All right to be patient with you only.
So women and children as well are included in that be patient with all mankind. I tell you these are all obvious marks of a Christian if the world doesn't think like this the world doesn't the children are not this from a Evolution a from a scientific point of view. It's survival of the fittest.
It's not Comfort the Angels my patience.
Don't render evil for evil.
That's a tough one specially especially for mean.
darynda evil for evil
you thinking you grumpy when you're driving your car and someone cuts you off that ring the evil for evil.
Follow that which is good.
I had a
kind of like a life advice thing and it's something I picked up in a self-help training, you know sales training thing is that you should surround yourself with 5 people that have attributes that you want to have because you want those that will rub off on you, you know, we should
Follow that which is good. We should pick people that are positive influence on us. We should try and be that person that's a positive influence.
We should Rejoice this is just too wet verse 16 Rejoice Evermore. This is the power of a Salvation that we can Rejoice we can be.
In an environment with people up Rejoice. We are saved saved. We have a glorious hope. All right. Imagine just for a second what that means. Have you imagined heaviness? Bear in mind Heaven comes down to the new. All right, so if you imagine what that will be like I did say that a lot of you would fall into the same category as I have the stomach for years and he isn't he is if I Christian walk I haven't imagined what that would be like, but why why don't we imagine what our eternal life is going to be like with Al and the beauty of the world. Does that mountain range look like if it wasn't cast? What does the tree look like? How do I look at things if I wasn't cursed Woodson? How how would I see things differently? All right that the possibilities are endless. Imagine what?
We have to look forward to that glorious hope and I tell you that she started mentioning and ask God when you go to sleep tonight before you go to sleep in your praying ask God to reveal to you to give you a glimpse of what heaven will be like of what our life eternal will be like. I can't think of much a greater motivation and I'll Christian day today walk that having a glimpse of what's ahead and he will reveal himself in this way to us. Next October. Joyson.
pray without ceasing If you want to have the fullness of the hope that lies within us, you've got to be in constant prayer with the Lord because if you're mine doesn't start in prayer in the day in the morning, then I read a quote that this week. I didn't nobody terrible remember things like this, but it's it started something like if you if you don't stop the day with it and within prayer and in the word with the Lord and communing with the Lord, you will seldomly in the day with the Lord. All right.
In everything be thankful. That's a great way to stop building that hope is to be thankful for what we have we have so much. Alright, we have so much we are blessed to live in the world in Auckland New Zealand sleep with with with physical wealth compared to a lot of the places around the world. All right, but we have so much to be thankful for even just in the foundation's about salvation and R2 in, Ohio. Quench not the spirit.
choose send
don't choose to do wrong because it is a choice.
Despise not prophesying. There's a great piece of scripture. Road map for living a hopeful life to pull talks about despise not prophesying about telling the future. But spoken about preaching let's talk about exposition of the word of God. That's what I'm talking about when you get to the meaning of that word.
spies not preaching you hear it commonly in churches. especially within the charismatic environments quite often which has its place of course, but we often hear.
Adoption in theology has it place in our lives. That's how we know. We have a blessed hope
Prove all things and hold fast to that, which is good. Prove all things and hold fast to that which is good. That means to take my word for it this morning and read 2nd Corinthians 4 scripture this week. Don't take my word for it.
Hold fast that which is good. So once you've proved these things once you've decided I'll actually I don't quite believe you'll definition of that wretched. I think it means more this will then hold fast to that.
And abstain from the appearance of evil. Now this is why I'm too gets turned into legalism. So quickly abstain from the appearance of evil. bus 22
I think it's position in that list is quite important but if staying from the appearance of evil, yeah, this is actually a much easier thing to do than we think if we're doing what we talked about at the very beginning rather than doing Christianity. If we be Christian if we live the fight that is in us than this becomes a heck of a lot easier because all of a sudden the power in the source of our hope the Lord Jesus Christ is on on my mind.
And willing to please him instead of him in the beginning.
If you doing that saying from the old appearance of evil, it's part of the course, you wouldn't want to do something that I noticed the name of Christ. All right, but this none of this. Is a list of things for you to judge other people by that's not how this started this passage. This is about you personally do and I think that's with specific location of verses 22 often gets messed up is that we apply for this 22 to somebody else instead of to ourselves.
We have an amazing. Hope Mexican a break the message. I'll probably go into the back this way too long.
But we have an amazing. Hope that the world desperately needs. Are eternity is secure if you'll sing here today, and you are saved. If you can call Jesus Christ your lord and savior. Your eternity is secure.
All things will be made new all things will be made right, but that we don't think about everything will be made right?
Let's live on Powers. Let's commit with each other because of the beginning of that scripture is talking about us as comforting each other as Christians. Let us encourage each other. Let us hold each other to account to live this power. let us spy / challenges with the fight that God intends for us to
If we can learn to do this, we will surely spread the hope that lies within us to those around us. And that is our Divine Purpose. That is what we are called to do and left here to do. ambassadors for Christ
Let's pray the Lord Jesus.