Wouldn't It Be Great If...
(A few of Paul's Desires for Us)

Who needs to confirm the word with signs of casting out devils, speaking with new tongues, taking up serpents, drinking deadly things, laying hands on the sick... when we can receive tomorrow from being a joint err with Christ tomorrow and yet still have His blessing today!

If we could have Paul's prayers, concerns and desires for us answered today, wouldn't that be great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Let's see what some of them are:


Review
But first, a friendly reminder that we ought to be knowing and having some understanding, maybe even some wisdom concerning many things that deal with doctrine, correction and instruction in righteousness - and in a reproofing manner... and for sure, the following::

Rightly Dividing - including the Book, the three kingdoms (John 18:36 / Revelation 11:15), the two commissions as well as in salvation...
Salvation - secure and confident in 'how' and 'what happens when...'  (Ephesians 1:12,13; Romans 10:9,10 - belief, trust, faith, mouth, heart...)
Devil's Devices - so many - and more & more recently... identify even the subtle to others, but obvious to us
Knowledge, Understanding, Wisdom and guidance from Holy Spirit - I Cor 2:9-16; John 14 for the saved & John 16 for the lost!
Flesh Battle zone Romans 3-8
Judgments - ours & theirs!


and most recently we have looked at:

God's Two Wills -given to Jesus then to Paul to show us from God...
a.  Eternal Salvation
b.  Eternal Inheritance (joint-heir - Romans 8:17)
Jesus - John 4:34; 5:30; John 6:38-40
Paul - Acts 9:15,16; 26:17-18; 28:31; Romans 8:16,17; I Cor 2:1-8; 3:9,10; Galatians 1:4,5; 4:4-7
(raise 'HIM' up and 'IT' up!


God's Witnesses
Times of the true witness:
OT  - conscience, God's voice, (directly, on tablets, & through Prophets)
NT  -John the Baptist, Works of Jesus Christ, God Himself (HS), Scriptures, Apostles, Paul...

God's Witnesses today - US!
Jesus, Holy Spirit, KJB & Paul are the witnesses to the saved!
Jesus, Holy Spirit, KJB, Paul & US are God's true witnesses to the lost today!
I Corinthians 8:3  But if any man love God, the same is known of him.

We don't want to be a false witness - In these days of apostasy, a true witness delivereth souls, a false witness builds churches!  (See Proverbs 14:25)

God's Witness tomorrow - Jesus Christ - Revelation 19!


sermon body:
so... having touched on all that above...
...let's see what Paul truly wants for us:

1.  Know that Paul desires to see us for our benefit...

Romans 1:11  For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;

Romans 15:23   But now having no more place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come unto you;

Philippines 1:8  For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.

II Corinthians 1:15: And in this confidence I was minded to come unto you before, that ye might have a second benefit;

I Thessalonians 4:1: Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

2.  Our new walk should be a blessing to us, not a demand or a life of bondage...

Romans 6:22   But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

Colossians 1:10  That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Galatians 4:9  But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

Titus 3:8  This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

3.  Desires for us to be blameless...
I Corinthians 1:4-8   I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;  That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;  Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:  So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:  Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

4.  Desires for us to 'clean up our lives!'
II Corinthians 12:19-21  Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying.  For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults:  And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.

5.  Desires fruit in our lives...
Philippians 4:17   Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.

II Corinthians 9:10,11  Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;   Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.

6.  Desires for us to receive God's gifts...
Romans 1:11  For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;

I Corinthians 12:1  Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.

I Corinthians 12:31: But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

7.  Cares enough to preach to us, not give up even though ...
Galatians 4:20   I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.

II Corinthians 12:15: And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.

8.  Knows that we need to receive GRACE and be able to pass it on...
II Corinthians 8:4  Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.

9.  Not to have fellowship with devils (includes the idols of the lost...)
I Corinthians 10:20  But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.

10.  To be an encouragement during death!
I Thessalonians 4:13-18  But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

11.  Not to be ignorant towards Israel!
Romans 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

Genesis 16:11,12  And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.  And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

12.  For us to be like him, but knows we can't - but we must at least just follow!
I Corinthians 7:7 For I would that all men were even as I myself.  But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.

I Corinthians 4:16: Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.

I Corinthians 11:1: Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

Philippians 3:17: Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.

II Thessalonians 3:7-9 7  For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;  Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:  Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.

13.  He Prays for us...
Romans 1:9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;

Ephesians 1:16-19  Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;  That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,  And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

Ephesians 3:13-19   Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.  For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,  Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,  That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;  That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,  May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Philippians 1:9-11  And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.   Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

Colossians 1:9-11  For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;  That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;  Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

Ephesians 4:17-24  This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,  Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:  Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.  But ye have not so learned Christ;  If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.


I'll take the fruit of Paul's Gospel over the apostle's snake handling, drinking poison, speaking in tongues for today!

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