Is Paul in Doubt of Us?

From the Black Hills, the Badlands and the Great Plains & Prairie of Western South Dakota

www.scatteredchristians.org

March 10, 2010
Audio sermon
Video sermon

Would Paul Be In Doubt of Us ?

I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.
Galatians 4:20

When will we finally believe what Paul says?
Acts 27:11;11:21
Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship,
more than those things which were spoken by Paul.

But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them,
and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me,
and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.

When will it be too late?
Romans 11:22
II Thessalonians 2:3,4
What unnecessary damage has been done
and / or is yet to be done before we finally believe Paul?

I know - my preaching always seems to be so 'walk' oriented and is more often than not, negative! Maybe with my repeating myself, some will actually learn these verses... but things are happening these days - and it isn't good!

More and more, I am seeing & hearing of those 'christians' those who "will not endure..."

thus my bringing up this subject again...
Not wanting this to be in vain, like Paul's fears...

Demasite followers of Demas
Demasettes - women followers of Demas

It is THEIR CHOICE - 'will not...'

I don't get it - they really don't want Romans 6:21,22 - What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

Sure - this is the dispensation of grace, Ephesians 3:2 but still - why do they want 'back' to where they came from?

Paul IS about learning to have our walk please God ...

Strength or Ticket?

...with God's grace being our strength against the world, not our ticket back into the world!

Christ's instructions to Paul were:

Ephesians 3:8,9
Acts 28:31
Acts 22:14,15
Acts 26:18,20
Acts 9:16

NOW we can actually please God in our walk!

Romans 8:8

Paul is concerned about:

Our Outside Appearance

our testimony

I Timothy 4:15-16 - Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
to all that believe

I Thessalonians 1:6-10

to the lost

The terror of the Lord...

II Corinthians 5:11 - Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in our consciences.

The goodness of God

Romans 2:4 - Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

God's glory to others

Philippians 1:11 - Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

Eternal reward

II Corinthians 5:10 - For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
I Corinthians 3:11-15

Our Inner Man

II Corinthians 13:7 - Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates.
Ephesians 3:16 - That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

strength
triumph
victory

Our heart

Romans 6:17 - But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

true salvation
joint heir, etc.
faith - ours and his!

This Present World

This is a crooked world!

Please the Lord AND Paul!
Philippians 2:15,16 - That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

Note: perverted nation - Gentiles... not just America!

We are not to be conformed to it!

Romans 12:2 - And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
II Corinthians 6:17 - come out - not go back in!

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

We are & will be delivered from...

Galatians 1:4 - Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
Why do we return back to the bondage of the world - ways and whims

Galatians 3:1 - O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

Stablished according to Paul

Romans 16:25 - Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
Colossians 2:7 - Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
I Thessalonians 3:2 - And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith:
I Thessalonians 3:13 - To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
II Thessalonians 2:17 - Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.
II Thessalonians 3:3 - But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.

World has no wisdom

I Corinthians 1:20-21 - Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
I Corinthians 1:27-29 - But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.
Do we speak wisdom as Paul followers with the Risen Christ?

I Corinthians 2:6,7 - to end
I Corinthians 3:18-20 - Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

Many voices in this world

II Corinthians 14:10,11 - There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.
Tossed about?

Ephesians 4:14 - That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

Our conversation in the world ...

II Corinthians 1:12 - For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.

The Light of the Glorious Gospel being hid!

II Corinthians 4:4 - In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Us "Doing" Paul is the light of the gospel!

Philippians 4:9 - Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
Romans 16:25 - Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
Philippians 1:20 - According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.

People keep trying to put it out!
People keep trying to hide it!

intimidated - fear of man
losing friends, etc.
love of money

People even try to deny it!

Romans 1:16 - For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
II Timothy 1:8 - Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

Mike Paulson
(former pastor of King James Bible Church of Touchet, WA)
Doing the work of an evangelist teaching Paul's gospel of the Risen Saviour!
www.scatteredchristians.org

The entire King James Bible is written FOR us, but it is not all written TO us!
We learn from the "For" and we learn to apply the 'TO!"