Stagger

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

Another Sermon for the Starving Bible Believing Christians All Over the World Wide Web
2007 - KJV Bible Believers Church in Touchet, Touchet, Washington - Pastor Mike Paulson - 2007
Expounding the way of God more perfectly - Acts 18:26 - with the Scriptures Rightly Divided - II Timothy 2:15
Knowing God's Word Today Stands For Us, Not Against Us; For Good, Not For Evil!
See Jeremiah 44:29 vs Romans 2:4

We are Called Out to Live Turned From Unto!
Part IV
November 18, 2007
a.m. service

Staggering At God's Promises?

He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
Romans 4:20,21
Read all of 4:19-25

Are you not confident of 'Separation" doctrine?

Doubt? Fight it? Disagree?

Or no fight at all - Compromise is a device of Sanballat and Tobiah, etc.
They first said they wanted to help Ezra build the temple!

But Nehemiah and Ezra knew the truth!

Philippians 1:6 - Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Is "Separation" as Paul teaches really part of that 'good work' begun in us?

Jesus taught it himself!

In fact, Jesus demanded it!

Luke 14:25-30, 33

As Titus is to be comforting to us, Paul's separation teaching should be a 'joy' to me as pastor and should be refreshing (remember "The Pause That Refreshes" sermon...) to you!

II Corinthians 7:6 - Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus;
Romans 15:30-32 - Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judaea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints; That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.

Why so hard - difficult - frustrating?

Why make it your fight?
Between you and me, your pastor?
Between you and God?
Between you and your family?
Between you and yourself?

If your fight is with people - pastor, family members, etc., ...

remember I Thessalonians 4:8 - He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

If with yourself...

remember II Timothy 2:25 - In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves... and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil...

If this "life changing" subject causes contention in your life or family, then you know it must just be a pride issue -

Proverbs 13:10 - Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom

But why fight it at all?

1) It involves 'change' in our lives!

Churches don't preach it anymore!
Our flesh fights it!
We don't 'want' to change the tough ones, just the easy ones!

We can be 'stuck' on one of the 'Steps to Turn.'

carefulness; clear yourself; indignation; fear; vehement desire; zeal; revenge (II Cor 10:6)

We don't know or believe that WE have been changed.

That would warrant us changing our lives based on what God has changed us to be or do!
Changed? Us? Do you believe it?

made his workmanship
can actually please God now
Cleansed and kept clean
dead to law
dead to law of sin and death
brought nigh unto God
Christ is in us
Temple of the Holy Ghost
Hid in God
etc.

We have been bought by Him...

...now we really 'ought' to change like good grown-up Christians!

It really isn't our choice!
I Corinthians 6:19,20 - What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

We do believe these, right?

II Corinthians 12:9,10

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Romans 6:11

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

I Corinthians 1:19

For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

Romans 8:11

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

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:
This is exactly what separation is!

Note II Corinthians 1:10 - Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

Delivered - are we not ashamed enough of our past yet?
Doth Deliver - do we even want to be delivered from this death (see verse 8,9)?
Will Deliver - Do you really believe the and our 'future' to be what the Bible says it to be?

We do believe... right?

I Thessalonians 4:14

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

I Corinthians 6:4

And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.

Acts 18:6; 22:21; 28:28

...from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.

Acts 23:14

And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul.

Have we forgotten:
God changed Himself!

I Timothy 3:16

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Philippians 2:5-8

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Genesis 22:8

And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together

Then He changed us!

Couldn't we be the adult here and do for God what we expect our children to do for us? Grow up!
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;
I Corinthians 13:11 - When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

We should live for Him now!

II Corinthians 4:10 - Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
II Corinthians 4:11 - For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

Work out our own salvation!
Philippians 2:12 - Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

It is the MIND! To Will and To Do Good!

Philippians 2:13 - For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
WILL - want!

It's the mind!
Do we WANT to?

We have talked about doing his good pleasure instead of ours!
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.

Do we really serve the law of God?

Romans 7:25 - I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Do we even really "want" to serve the rightly divided law of God?

Do we really "delight?

Romans 7:22 - For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

We would rather look - SEE - sight!
The devil knows - and is providing plenty for folks to 'see' these days!

But instead ... we must have faith!
Galatians 3:2 - This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Romans 3:27 - Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.