Praying with Power – 5

Praying with Power – 5

Subject – We Must Pray and Stir Ourselves Again

By Rick Welborne

Isaiah 64:1-7 (NKJV)
¹  Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence--
²  As fire burns brushwood, As fire causes water to boil-- To make Your name known to Your adversaries, That the nations may tremble at Your presence!
³  When You did awesome things for which we did not look, You came down, The mountains shook at Your presence.
⁴  For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, Nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him.
⁵  You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness, Who remembers You in Your ways. You are indeed angry, for we have sinned-- In these ways we continue; And we need to be saved.
⁶  But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.
⁷  And there is no one who calls on Your name, Who stirs himself up to take hold of You; For You have hidden Your face from us, And have consumed us because of our iniquities. 

--Let’s face it, America cannot fall because she has already fallen. She cannot go into slavery because she is already chained to self-chosen moral decay. 

--Sadly there are millions who are diseased morally with no desire for healing and many of them sit on pews or chairs every Sunday filling an obligation but hearts void of Who their Substance is.

--The hope I have for America is based on the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. God said He would spare the city if they could find ten righteous people. I believe we have millions who are crying out to God. 

--Evidently Isaiah lived in a day similar to ours. He is praying an awesome prayer that God would rend the heavens and come down. Join me in praying that prayer.

--Isaiah then says something so sad… there is no one who calls on Your name, Who stirs himself up to take hold of You; For You have hidden Your face from us, And have consumed us because of our iniquities. 

--I believe he is praying with power…he is exhorting God’s people to call on God’s Name and for us to stir ourselves to take hold of God. It is the hope of the church and the world. 

--I know the Bible tells us that in the last days there will be a great falling away but it seems the devil is getting so many souls at bargain prices. Who or what has so brainwashed them?

Galatians 3:1-3 (NLT2)
¹  Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross.
²  Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ.
³  How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? 

1. We must stir ourselves and resist the desire to be lovers of pleasure. 

--The Apostle Paul gives a stern warning to Timothy that in the last day’s people will turn away from God to go after the things of this life. Be honest about these verses:

2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NKJV)
¹  But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
²  For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
³  unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
⁴  traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
⁵  having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 

--Life Church, we must stir ourselves away from such ungodliness. Pastor Rick, you should be saying this to the world. Really? So much is evident in the church. 

--This is why the church must stir herself and bring herself to a point of repentance and turning back to God. Facebook has great benefits but it also shows those who flaunt their lack of shame.

--Have you ever looked into the eyes of a believer (confessing) and tried to reason with them about doing what is biblical and godly, and then you realize, they have no intentions of doing what is right?

--You see that they are willing to take the chance that God understands why they have chosen the path they are on. God wants me happy. He wants you holy more than He wants you happy.

Lord Byron’s Lament – I now have ashes where I once had fire, the soul in my body is dead; the thing I once loved, I now merely admire, my heart is as gray as my head.

--Here is a lost man crying out because of the ravages of sin…his loose living, his uncontrolled drinking, and gambling has left him as a shell of a man. What does the church have to offer such a man?

--We need to stir ourselves again and realize that it is truly wonderful that our names are written in the Lambs Book of Life but there are multitudes of people lost without God. 

Leonard Ravenhill (1959) – Since in their freedom men will not heed God, will He have to enslave to Communism the mighty millions of America that they might have time to remember His day, His way, and His Son? Better to die bound in body and free in spirit than free in body and bound in soul!

--May this never happen to us because we are willing to pray with power and we are willing to stir ourselves to take hold of the One Who has taken hold of us. 

Philippians 3:12 (NIV)
¹²  Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 

2. We need to stir ourselves to have hearts ablaze. 

--It is time for the church to have burning hearts, anointed lips, and eyes that are full of the glory of God. We have to shake ourselves so that the scales fall off our eyes. 

Acts 9:17-18 (NIV)
¹⁷  Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord--Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here--has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit."
¹⁸  Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized,

--Stirring ourselves and getting on fire are just activities filled with futility if we leave out the power of Holy Spirit. Emotions can only take you so far. This is why Paul instructed young Timothy:

2 Timothy 1:6-7&14 (NKJV)
⁶  Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
⁷  For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
¹⁴  That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. 

--What gift was Paul speaking about to Timothy? He was talking to Timothy and telling him to be stirred by Holy Spirit Who is dwelling inside of him. Pray in the Spirit.

--Welcoming Holy Spirit in everything we do here at Life Church is not just an exercise in futility. It is serious and real. We need to welcome Him everywhere all the time.

--People do not naturally open their hearts to a complete stranger and confess their hurt and pain unless that person has stirred himself to take hold of God and to be filled with Holy Spirit power.

--Hear your pastor, I was not in the hospital two years ago looking for people’s pity, I was on a sent on a mission by God looking for the souls of men. 

--Thought…Let’s say physically we are on our way out of this life headed for eternity and the last act on this earth was praying for someone or trying to lead them to Christ…oh, what glory.

Romans 8:16-18 (KJV)
¹⁶  The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
¹⁷  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
¹⁸  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 

3. How can we not stir ourselves when we survey His wonderful cross. 

1 Corinthians 1:18 (NKJV)
¹⁸  For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

--We need to, as a church, once again climb up Calvary’s Hill on our knees and survey the wondrous cross in great humility and adoration. How can you consider the cross and not stir yourselves?

Ravenhill – The Church must first repent; then the world will break! The Church must first weep; then our altars will be filled with weeping penitents.

--In our text Isaiah says… there is no one who calls on Your name, Who stirs himself up to take hold of You! As we consider the cross, let’s be the people who stir themselves.

-- Oh, Lord, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence! Stir yourselves, Life Church, stir yourselves!

Hebrews 12:1-2 (NKJV)
¹  Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
²  looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Fear of the Lord – 7 – Annual Business Meeting

Fear of the Lord – 7 – Annual Business Meeting

Subject – The Battle is the Lord’s

By Rick Welborne

2 Chronicles 20:2-4,12-17 (NKJV)
²  Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, "A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea,
³  And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
⁴  So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.
¹²  O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You."
¹³  Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the LORD.
¹⁴  Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah,                            ¹⁵  And he said, "Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: 'Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's.
¹⁶  Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel.
¹⁷  You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!' Do not fear or be dismayed; 

--Welcome to my 32 Annual Business Meeting here at Life Church. I really didn’t know what I was doing 32 years ago and I still don’t know tonight. Thankfully, God has surrounded me with great men.

--Last week in our staff meeting Pastor Marty shared this story about Jehoshaphat and about our firm foundation, and then, Pastor Mark encouraged your Pastor about our church and missions.

--Though the battles are different, they are still battles. Jehoshaphat was facing an insurmountable army and I have felt I have been facing an insurmountable situation with missions.

--I can’t imagine the pressure Jehoshaphat was under but I can identify with the pressure of supporting 220 missionaries under the present circumstances. Jehoshaphat feared, and honestly, so has Pastor Rick.

--God had always taken care of Israel and He has always taken care of us. This present enemy seems so overwhelming. All we can do is seek the Lord and encourage others to do the same. 

--Jehoshaphat knew so many lives were at stake. The same with our missionaries. So many souls are at stake. As I said, his enemy was an army. What is our enemy?

--In 2022 our tithes and offerings went down substantially. The economy has been stressed under a new administration, inflation has been thru the roof, and many have chosen to not be faithful. Thus, stress.

--Life church, please remember your Covenant Membership that you made when you became a member of this assembly. Just as a reminder:

As a covenant member do you promise by the aid of the Holy Spirit to walk together in Christian love, to strive for the advancement of this church, for holiness and knowledge, to promote its prosperity and spirituality, to sustain its worship, doctrines, and discipline, and to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, missions, and the activities of the church?  

--Life Church, God must be first. He is a jealous God and requires of us to be faithful in the tithe and offerings besides. This is His Word and this was your covenant. Very serious.

--We have asked for 100% participation in the tithe and missions. Again, this a statement of powerful unity and it is biblical. When this happens, every need is met and even more. 

--If you are being faithful in the tithe and you don’t think you can make a Faith Promise, make one for $5 a month to be in unity with us. If you can’t find $5 come to me, I will give it. 

--So here is what God’s Word is saying to us:

1. Our Eyes Are On You!

--Jehoshaphat didn’t know what to do and I don’t know what to do but our eyes are on the Lord. He is our source and He is the only One Who can take care of this.

--Jehoshaphat asked the people to pray (I have asked), he told them to stand with their families (we are asking everyone to be involved). He did his part and we are doing our part. Praying, giving, sacrificing.

2. Don’t Be Afraid!

--Easier said than done. The Bible said Jehoshaphat feared. Look who gave the word: Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah. Where have we heard grandpa’s name? In a pit with a lion.

--What did Jahaziel say: 'Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's.’ The battle is the Lord’s.

--So Life Church, I have preached God’s Word, I have challenged you with tithing and the Great Commission (Missions), we have been faithful, and now the battle is the Lord’s. Please don’t fight with Him.

3. Stand Still and See!

--Obviously, all Jehoshaphat could do was stand still and see. That’s all I can do. Well, there is one more thing I (we) can do and that’s worship.

2 Chronicles 20:18&22 (NKJV)
¹⁸  And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the LORD, worshiping the LORD.
²²  Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. 

--The victory was won and God received the glory. 

Praying with Power – 4

Praying with Power – 4

Subject – Branded for Christ

By Rick Welborne

Galatians 6:14-17 (NKJV)
¹⁴  But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
¹⁵  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.
¹⁶  And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.    
¹⁷  From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. 

--We all think we know each other so well but none of us truly know each other deeply. How many times are we surprised when a spouse walks away and leaves a family after 20 or 30 years?

--We have a tendency to put on at church what we want people to see or what we want them to believe about us and we are shocked when we find it is not true. To a great degree, we are all hypocrites.

--To truly know someone you would have to know the influences of heredity and environment, and all the countless moral choices that have fashioned the person. 

--Even though we cannot know all the details about a person, we can often trace a person’s life and find the motivation that turned that person around or what marked that person for destiny. 

--Such a man, Saul of Tarsus, later to become Paul, was a marked or branded man. As we look into his life and see the total transformation, we can learn from his words…I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. 

--Whatever you think Paul meant by these words, one thing is very clear, he was acknowledging that Christ had ownership of him—body, soul, and spirit. He was branded for Christ from this day forward.

--Paul was not trying to say that he was like Jesus by the outward wounds he received in his body but was referring to an inward crucifixion that identified him with Christ.

Galatians 2:20 (NKJV)
²⁰  I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

1. Branded for Christ – I have been crucified with Christ.

--Other than Jesus, has there ever been a man more branded to a task than the Apostle Paul. Jesus came with singleness of mind to fulfill God’s plan for His life, so did Paul after his conversion. 

--Even in his calling, he would learn his life was no longer his own. Listen to what Jesus told Ananias when he was to go and pray for Saul.

Acts 9:15-16 (NKJV)
¹⁵  But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.
¹⁶  For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake."

--Jesus was saying to Paul…I am calling you to a life of suffering for My Name’s sake. I gave My life for the sins of the whole world and now you will lay down your life for Jews, Gentiles, and Kings. 

--I wonder what Paul would think about the gospel that is being preached today in so many of our churches about being healthy, wealthy, and extremely prosperous? Just read his epistles. 

Galatians 1:6-10 (NKJV)
⁶  I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel,
⁷  which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.
⁸  But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
⁹  As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
¹⁰  For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.

--Paul never claimed that what he was preaching was easy but he did declare his love for Christ was a process. Paul said…I die daily. I die to myself every day. 

--Think about that and how that would affect your daily lives. I don’t feel like praying. I die to myself. I do not feel like sharing Christ. I die to myself. I don’t feel like giving more to missions. I die to myself.

--I don’t want to forgive my spouse or my brother or sister. I die to myself. I don’t want to keep my mouth shut. I die to myself. I don’t feel like going to church. I die to myself. 

--If I choose to please myself or to please others, I could not be a bond-servant of Christ. I am branded for Christ, and the more who know, the better for my calling and mission.

Romans 1:14-16 (NKJV)
¹⁴  I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise.
¹⁵  So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.
¹⁶  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 

--Here’s some truth many do not want to hear. Not only are we not branded for Christ, most of the people who know us do not even know we are Christians. We are the opposite of Paul…we are ashamed. 

--Think about how much it hurts a parent’s heart when your kid, your own flesh and blood, the one you sacrificed so much for, ask you to go away when their friends are around.

--Think how Jesus must feel when we are ashamed to be identified with Him. When He has told us to go into the world to tell everyone about Him and we do not even mention we belong to Him. 

2. Belonging to Christ – Look at my scars (marks).

--Notice the word marks in our text. Paul is saying, "I bear in my body the 'marks'" -- the Greek word is stigmata -- meaning 'scar marks.' If you want to see the handwriting of Jesus, look upon Paul's body.

2 Corinthians 11:23-25 (NKJV)
²³  Are they ministers of Christ?--I speak as a fool--I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often.
²⁴  From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.
²⁵  Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;

--That would definitely leave a mark. Contrast with today. Our new gospel tells us the marks of true Christians are new houses, new cars, much wealth, constant blessings with no trials. No gospel at all!                                 

--In Paul's day stigmata was used in three ways. 

--When a runaway slave was found and brought back to his master, he was branded on the forehead. Paul was saying, I was a prodigal on the run and I have been brought back to my Master. I am a bond-slave.

--Also soldiers who belonged to famous companies had the names of their commanders tattooed on their foreheads. Paul said I endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 

--Then, too, believers of a pagan goddess (and there was much of this in Asia Minor and throughout the Roman Empire in Paul's day) had her name branded on their foreheads. 

--Paul says, "I have on my body the stigmata (the scars or marks) of the Lord Jesus." If you want to know if I truly believe what I have written and if these things are real in my own life, read my body -- look at my scars."

--Our marks are not of Paul’s kind…we wear a pretty cross around our neck or on a t-shirt with some cute saying. Or we have a tattoo (most of the time hidden) with a cross or LOVE on it. 

--We tell one person about Jesus one time and we get rejected and we feel we are scarred for life. We become undercover Christians so we want receive all that abuse. Think about Jesus:

 Isaiah 53:1-7 (NKJV)
¹  Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
²  For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
³  He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
⁴  Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.
⁵  But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
⁶  All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
⁷  He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. 

3. Burning for Christ – Nothing could put out passion’s flame. 

--Think about how easily people walk away from Christ today but not so with Paul. Oh, that the wondrous flame Paul had might burn within us. 

--Let’s look at this marked little body of Paul and ask what could put out the flame of Holy Spirit? Could hunger and thirst? No! Fasting and burdens? No! Being stoned and left for dead at Lystra? No!

--Could being shipwrecked in the sea for 36 hours? No! Could being terribly lonely? No! Could 195 lashes? No! Could 3 shipwrecks? No! Three beatings with rods? No!

--Paul wrote it all off as nothing. How is that even possible? His marks or scars cried of a better day!

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NKJV)
¹⁶  Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
¹⁷  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
¹⁸  while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Romans 8:18 (KJV)
¹⁸  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Fear of the Lord – 6

Fear of the Lord – 6

Subject: How Do We Face This Giant

By Rick Welborne

1 Samuel 17:4-11 (NLT2)
⁴  Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel. He was over nine feet tall!
⁵  He wore a bronze helmet, and his bronze coat of mail weighed 125 pounds.
⁶  He also wore bronze leg armor, and he carried a bronze javelin on his shoulder.
⁷  The shaft of his spear was as heavy and thick as a weaver’s beam, tipped with an iron spearhead that weighed 15 pounds. His armor bearer walked ahead of him carrying a shield.
⁸  Goliath stood and shouted a taunt across to the Israelites. “Why are you all coming out to fight?” he called. “I am the Philistine champion, but you are only the servants of Saul. Choose one man to come down here and fight me!
⁹  If he kills me, then we will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you will be our slaves!
¹⁰  I defy the armies of Israel today! Send me a man who will fight me!”
¹¹  When Saul and the Israelites heard this, they were terrified and deeply shaken. 

--We all have to admit that Goliath, a nine-feet tall giant, is a large enemy and that he is the ultimate warrior. Just his coat of mail weighed 125 pounds. This is a foe that Israel had not anticipated.

--Obviously we did not anticipate that we would be where we are today with our country. Many are fearing, even those in the church, and my job tonight is to bring calm in the storm. 

--A great take away from this and pretty much anything we face is that it may be more than we can handle but it is definitely not more than Jesus can handle. Amen!

--How do we face this giant? I believe we can learn much from this story in the Word from David and Goliath.

--People know this story because it has been applied to so many things in our society. If a powerhouse basketball team is playing an extreme underdog…it is a David and Goliath scenario. 

--Today let’s be reminded of what can happen between David and Goliath and how, as believers, we can navigate what looks like tracheas waters. How can we face this giant? 

1. Realize family may not be on your side.

--David has been sent by his father to take food down to the battle lines where his brothers are fighting (supposedly) and to bring back a report.

1 Samuel 17:23-27 (NLT2)
²³  As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, came out from the Philistine ranks. Then David heard him shout his usual taunt to the army of Israel.
²⁴  As soon as the Israelite army saw him, they began to run away in fright.
²⁵  “Have you seen the giant?” the men asked. “He comes out each day to defy Israel. The king has offered a huge reward to anyone who kills him. He will give that man one of his daughters for a wife, and the man’s entire family will be exempted from paying taxes!”
²⁶  David asked the soldiers standing nearby, “What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his defiance of Israel? Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?”
²⁷  And these men gave David the same reply. They said, “Yes, that is the reward for killing him.” 

--David arrives just in time to see the Israelite army line up on the battlefield with shouts. None of them had any intentions of fighting Goliath but they really got into the whole thing. You can do it!

--I know we are all going through a tough time but let me be honest, this sounds much like the church. Many times we have no intentions of doing anything or fighting in this battle but we like the fanfare.

--David was a young man of faith, not fear, so he inquired what again what would be done for the man who killed Goliath. He would get the king’s daughter and his family free from taxes. Wow!

--Anytime you try to do something great for God, there is a good chance there will be family there to try to stop you in your tracks. When I knew God was calling me, my dad went pyscho on me. Hitting me. 

1 Samuel 17:28 (NLT2)
²⁸  But when David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking to the men, he was angry. “What are you doing around here anyway?” he demanded. “What about those few sheep you’re supposed to be taking care of? I know about your pride and deceit. You just want to see the battle!” 

--What have I done now? Not David’s first run-in with his brother. What to do when there is a giant in front of you and you believe God wants you to take it out? Your family opposes you.

--I believe this was a beautiful revelation that God gave to me as I prayed. David could stand against his brother because he knew he was doing the will of his father. 

--He knew his father had sent him. Before we try to slay this giant that is before us we must know that our God, our Father, has sent us and we are being obedient to what He is directing us to do.

--I knew God had called me. I was obeying what He had called me to do, but quitting the paper mill and going to Bible College. I believe my obedience was my dad and mom’s salvation.

--It is almost a guarantee that if you will do anything great for God you will have to overcome your fear of what family thinks and just be obedient. Jesus said:

Matthew 10:36-37 (NKJV)
³⁶  and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.'
³⁷  He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 

2. Realize leaders may not see what is in you.

--How desperate was Israel for someone to take care of Goliath? How desperate are we for someone to take care of our crisis? Israel was so worried that they sent a young shepherd boy to the king.

1 Samuel 17:31 (NLT2) ³¹ Then David’s question was reported to King Saul, and the king sent for him.

--Saul had no idea what was in David. The world has no idea what is in the church of the living God. We have the answer and His Name is Jesus.

1 Samuel 17:32-33&37 (NLT2) ³²  “Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!”
³³  “Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.”
³⁷  The LORD who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the LORD be with you!” 

--David has already had to get past family who were discouraging him and doubting him and now the leadership is telling him he can’t beat Goliath. There is no way you can win.

--I love David’s response. Whether it was a bear or a lion, when they came after the sheep something rose up in me. You see he had been spending time, not just watching sheep, but worshiping God and praying.

--I believe David had something supernatural inside of him and I believe this was Holy Spirit. Pastor, this is OT. I know David had Holy Spirit because in Psalms 51 he begs God not to take Holy Spirit from him.

--At times like these the world is looking to the church for hope and for help. We can circle the wagons and just hunker down or we can rise up in prayer and beat the giant.

1 Samuel 17:38-39 (NLT2) ³⁸  Then Saul gave David his own armor—a bronze helmet and a coat of mail.
³⁹  David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before. “I can’t go in these,” he protested to Saul. “I’m not used to them.” So David took them off again. 

--We don’t need Saul’s armor…put on the Lord Jesus Christ! Be who you are! The Church. Put your name where Peter’s Name is.

Matthew 16:18 (NKJV) ¹⁸ And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

3. Goliath wants to take you out but you kill him.

1 Samuel 17:40-44 (NLT2)
⁴⁰  He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine.
⁴¹  Goliath walked out toward David with his shield bearer ahead of him,
⁴²  sneering in contempt at this ruddy-faced boy.
⁴³  “Am I a dog,” he roared at David, “that you come at me with a stick?” And he cursed David by the names of his gods.
⁴⁴  “Come over here, and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!” Goliath yelled. 

--David has already had to overcome the attacks of family, he had to overcome the lack of faith from leadership, and now he is faced with Goliath.

--Goliath says, “Am I a dog?” Yep! But you are not going to roll over and play dead, you are going to roll over and be dead. Not here to play fetch. Church, we are not here to play with the giant facing us.

--The weapon of the enemy is intimidation. David did not win this battle on the battlefield that day, he won it on the hills of Jerusalem. When we care for the Heavenly Father’s sheep, He is with us.

--He prepared for the battle by having a disciplined life of prayer and worship. Turn off the news and turn up the worship and seek God with all your hearts.

--Don’t bury your head in the sand and pretend the enemy is not real but confront him head-on knowing that your God is with you. It’s not the size of your giant, it is the size of your God!

1 Samuel 17:45-47 (NLT2)
⁴⁵  David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
⁴⁶  Today the LORD will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel!
⁴⁷  And everyone assembled here will know that the LORD rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the LORD’s battle, and he will give you to us!”

--Our enemy comes against us with fear, sickness, and confusion but we come against him in the Name that is above every name…the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Every knee will bow.

--The Lord will conquer you! The Lord will conquer you! The whole world will see that there is a Savior Jesus Christ Who is in heaven praying for the church to triumph! 

2 Chronicles 20:17 (NKJV)
¹⁷  You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you."

Praying with Power – 3

Praying with Power – 3

Subject – Praying with an Understanding of Who We Are

By Rick Welborne

James 5:13-16 (NLT2)
¹³  Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises.
¹⁴  Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord.
¹⁵  Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.
¹⁶  Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. 

--The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. Obviously, I believe that, and that is why I am preaching this series.

--Something that has always bothered me as a follower of Christ is when I hear believers boast about their position in Christ and speak so much of their privileges because of that. 

--Don’t misunderstand me, there are plenty of scriptures that tell us who we are in Christ and the blessings that entails, but I have never felt it should be a part of our open dialog.

--I am a king’s kid, I am a son of God or daughter of God, I am wealthy, I am healthy, I am seated in high places, I am lifted up with Jesus, I am, I am, I am. How many of you know there is only one I am?

--Here is my dilemma, I see a contrast is Scripture that shows me a different attitude about who we are and the more I study it, the more I believe it has an impact on our prayers. 

--I cannot escape the verse, If My people who are called by My Name will humble themselves and pray…I see much but I do not see humility. Look at Paul.

1. The Scum of the Earth.

 1 Corinthians 4:13 (NIV)
^13…Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world. 

--So what is the scum of the earth. Is it the womb of evil where everything horrible in our world is born? Is it the principalities and powers working against God’s church?

--Could it have been Babylon, Rome, or even be Washington D.C.? Is the scum of the earth sin or sinners? We could go on and on guessing what this scum could be and struggle to get the right answer.

--The scum of the earth is neither humanity nor of devils. It is not bad but good. No, not even good, but the very best. It is not material but spiritual, not of Satan but of God. 

--The apostle Paul was saying we apostles are the scum of the earth and if that were not bad enough, he added that we are the refuse of the world. Evidently, Paul had not read the latest self-help book.

--Paul has assessed himself and the apostles as the scum of the earth. How is that beneficial? This person has no ambitions and really has nothing to be jealous about. Today Christians argue over silliness. 

--He has no reputation and so he has nothing to fight about. He has no possessions so he has nothing to worry about. He has no rights (slave) so he can’t be wronged. He is already dead so no one can kill him.

--Is it any wonder that these guys turned the world upside down? The world saw the humility of these apostles and wanted what they had. Sinners today see the arrogance displayed daily on TV. Turns them off. 

--So interesting to me that it was not the world who hurt the apostles but the “church”.

1 Corinthians 4:7-13 (NIV)
⁷  For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
⁸  Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have become kings--and that without us! How I wish that you really had become kings so that we might be kings with you!
⁹  For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men.
¹⁰  We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored!
¹¹  To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless.
¹²  We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;
¹³  when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world. 

2. The Least of the Apostles.

1 Corinthians 15:9-10 (NKJV)
⁹  For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
¹⁰  But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

--Could there possibly be any connection between Paul’s humility (how he saw himself) and how he was so tremendously used by God? His humility motivated him to serve God and work harder. 

--If you are not all that, you need all that He has for you. When you see yourself as weak, then you see your need for God’s strength.

2 Corinthians 12:8-10 (NKJV)
⁸  Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
⁹  And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
¹⁰  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

--I personally believe God has an attraction to those who are the least. Those who are broken, those who are weak, and even those appear to be barren attracts God to them. 

--Hannah was one of the two wives of Elkanah and she was definitely one of those people who felt like the least. Her rival wife taunted her because she was barren and her husband was clueless.

--She goes to the church to pray and find comfort, but the priest Eli accuses her of being drunk. To say she was going thru a time of feeling like the scum of the earth, understatement for sure.

--God sees Hannah’s despair but more importantly He hears her prayer and willingness to give back to Him whatever He blesses her with…thus, Samuel was born. A prophet and priest of God.  

1 Samuel 2:1-3 (NKJV)
¹  And Hannah prayed and said: "My heart rejoices in the LORD; My horn is exalted in the LORD. I smile at my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation.
²  "No one is holy like the LORD, For there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God.
³  "Talk no more so very proudly; Let no arrogance come from your mouth, For the LORD is the God of knowledge; And by Him actions are weighed. 

--Hannah’s labels…being called barren by the other wife (I can’t begin to imagine the dysfunction in a home with two wives) and to be called a drunk by your pastor when you are praying.

--Adversity has a way of pushing us away from God or pushing us into a deeper relationship with God. Before their salvation, my parents were brutal in their dealings with me. 

--They said…There is no hope for you but I met the God of all hope. You were an accident…God says I know the plans I have for you to give you a hope and a future.

--You will never be anything…God took me into His arms, saved me, filled me with Holy Spirit, and called me. I am the least in the family, the scum, the weakest but Jesus has made me strong. 

 2 Corinthians 4:6-10 (NKJV)
⁶  For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
⁷  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
⁸  We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
⁹  persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed--
¹⁰  always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 

--I feel I am the least of the pastors in our section and I still am not sure about what I am doing. I am an empty vessel and I hope I stay that way so God can fill me with His power and wisdom. 

3. Esteem God and Others Above Yourself.

Philippians 2:1-9 (NKJV)
¹  Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy,
²  fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
³  Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
⁴  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
⁵  Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
⁶  who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
⁷  but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
⁸  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
⁹  Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 

--The Word of God will show us patterns if we are willing to look for them and discern them. I see a pattern here in Philippians. 

A. Put Jesus first and be like Jesus.

B. Esteem others better than yourself.

C. Humble yourself before God. Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus.

D. Let God be the One Who exalts you. Jesus was given a Name above every name. 

Fear of the Lord – 5

Fear of the Lord – 5

Subject – Fear Not but Fear the Lord

By Rick Welborne

Isaiah 41:8‑10 (NKJV) 

8 "But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The descendants of Abraham My friend. 

9 You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, And called from its farthest regions, And said to you, 'You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away: 

10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.' 

–What would you guess would be one of the most common commands in the Scripture? The single command in Scripture that occurs more often than any other. “Fear not.”

–He may say “Do not be afraid.  Be strong and courageous. You can trust Me. Fear not.”

1. God commands us to not fear.

–When you think about it, fear does not seem like one of the more serious vices in the world...it does not even make it into the seven deadly sins that God names.

–As far as I know, no one has received church discipline for being afraid.  So why does God tell human being to stop being afraid more than anything else?

–This hits me as humorous...God does not tell us to “fear not” because He is trying to spare us from emotional discomfort...usually what He asks us to do causes greater fear. 

–We never want the no of fear to be greater than the yes of faith...Our Father can be trusted.

2. God can be trusted even when we are afraid.

Isaiah 43:1‑3 (NKJV) 

1 But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. 

2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. 

3 For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. 

Proverbs 3:5 (NKJV) 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 

–The key word here is trust...trust is the opposite of fear. Peter on the water…Come.

Ortberg - I believe the reason God says “fear not” so often is that fear will sink us faster than anything else.  Fear disrupts faith and becomes the biggest obstacle to trusting and obeying God.

–Everyone of us will face those moments when we must choose between trust and fear. Trust and fear have been battling for supremacy in your heart for a long time...eventually one will win.  

3. Fear and the cost of living in fear.

Ortberg - At its simplest and most benign, fear is an internal warning cry that danger is nearby and we had better do something about it.  It is designed to be what researchers call a “self-correcting mechanism”–to be unpleasant enough to motivate us to take action and remove ourselves from whatever is threatening us. It readies our bodies to flee, hide, or fight.

–When we are not willing to face our fears...it will definitely cost us...What?

A. Fear will cost us our self-esteem.

–Avoiding our fears kills a sense of confidence and esteem. Not even praise from others will encourage when we are stuck in fear. 

–We go into “impression management” pretending to be what others accept...allusion. In our hearts we think...If you knew the real me and my fears you would not compliment me.

–When you take on a fear or challenge it builds the core of who you are even if it does not turn out perfectly.

–Every time you wimp out to a perceived fear you die a little on the inside. If this continues you will learn to live in fear and avoidance...will feel bad about yourself.

B. Fear will cost us a loss of destiny.

–If you live in fear, you will never experience the potential and destiny God has planned for you.  The truth is that growth always requires risk. Fear always makes us ask all the “what ifs” 

–Some are afraid of success...higher expectations and more pressure from others. We don’t move until we get a guarantee we will succeed...we stay stagnate.

–If this pattern does not change you find yourself at the end of your life looking back wishing you had not been so careful...start wherever you are now.

–Fear will cost you your destiny...and that is too high of a price to pay. 

C. Fear will cost us a lack of joy.

–Fear destroys joy...if you choose to live in fear you will join the multitudes who live in constant paralyzing anxiety...look to pills or whatever for help.

–Have you ever noticed that the people who live next to the edge in their businesses, in their sports, in their lives are the people who are having the time of their lives.

–You see, trusting in the face of fear and challenge produces joy! On the other hand, those who give in to fear see that it is a joy killer.  Imaginations running wild...worry!

Psalm 16:11 (NKJV) 11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. 

D. Fear will cost us a sense of real intimacy.

–Fear has a way of making us hide from those in whom we should be close...Adam and Eve...Where are you?  I heard You in the garden and I hid myself because I was naked.

–We have been hiding ever since...behind fake smiles...behind agreeable words we don’t believe, behind things we feel but are too afraid to say.

–We hid behind what people might think of us, we hid by not saying what we feel at church, the lack of conflict does not equal to peace.

–A husband and wife may choose to not argue...to play the quiet game...but what is lost is the intimacy that God has for them.

–We play the quiet game with the lost because we are afraid of rejection and embarrassment. Fear always lies behind the quiet game.

E. Fear will cost us our availability to God.

–Fear whispers to us that God is really not big enough to take care of our problems, that we are not safe in His hands, and it causes us to distort the way that we think about Him.

–God has promised that if we go thru the water or the fire that He is with us but fear tries to convince us that it is not so.

–This is key: you will never know God is trustworthy if you do not risk obeying Him. When you come to the end of your life all those “what ifs” becomes “might have been”.

–What might have been if I had trusted God? The price is too great to pay to not trust God!

F. Fear gets passed from generation to generation.

–Social science tells us that we are the most worried culture who ever lived. Life expectancy has more than doubled in the past century. Yet we worry!

–We have discovered more cures for more diseases than ever before. No group of human beings have been healthier but no one worries about health more than we do.

–Journalist Bob Garfield tracked health articles in the Washington Post, USA Today, and the New York Times and found out according to experts:

–59 million Americans have heart disease.

–53 million suffer from migraines.

–25 million have osteoporosis

–16 million struggle with obesity

–3 million have cancer

–12 million have severe disorders such as brain injuries.

–On and on it goes!

–The articles he read said that there are 543 million Americans who are sick, which is funny, since we only have about 340 million.  We are convinced to worry...fear sells!

–We teach our children to fear...don’t do that or this...people are evil...don’t play with sticks...How many people have had their eyes poked out with sticks? 

--We propagate fear...we must learn that trust and faith can be spread also. Have you ever para-sailed, sky dived, bungee jumped...it may be terrifying but it only lasts a moment...the memory lasts a life time.

Psalm 103:15‑18 (NLT) 

15 Our days on earth are like grass; like wild flowers, we bloom and die. 

16 The wind blows, and we are gone— as though we had never been here. 

17 But the love of the LORD remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children 

18 of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments! 

–What are we passing to our children...faith or fear