Brother Gary Sunday Evening 8/11/13

Brother Gary Sunday Evening 8/11/13

Heb 3:6  But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

We belong to Christ; the building is our person.  We belong to Christ if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing.  Life is not always a happy picture and it is not always a gloomy picture.  There will be times of rejoicing; there will be times of great trying.  There will be times of answer to prayer and times of waiting. 

We must hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing.  One of the most important things we can do in our spiritual life is keep it real the joy in the thought of, ‘it is well with our soul.’ 

God always comes through.  Wherever you are and whatever your situation, hold your confidence in God. 

I love the thought where Jesus asked his disciples when they were saying it is rough to serve God in the Gospel Day.  Some were turning away from God and Jesus asked his disciples, “Will you also turn away?”  They asked, “Where would we go?” 

There is no better place than serving God even when things are tough.  Hold confidence and rejoicing in God.

Heb 10:35  Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.

You can trust Jesus.  We don’t see Him and there may be times when we don’t feel Him but He is always there so hold your confidence in Him and hold your rejoicing.

Isa 43:2  When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

Sometimes there are waters of affliction.  For young Coltyn he met with affliction in the form of diabetes at the age of four.  As you age the aches and pains and the waters of affliction become a part of life.  We don’t have to let that separate us from rejoicing.  We have the promise, “When you pass through the waters I will be with thee.”

Loneliness is very real.  There are books written, messages preached, and a lot of people have experienced loneliness.  Sometimes it becomes very deep waters.  The song, “I’ll never be lonely again,” comes to mind.  I have wondered what the hymn story behind that song is.  It was written because some person experienced great loneliness. 

Sometimes the waters are disappointments that life hasn’t afforded us with some of the kindnesses that it has afforded others.  Brother Maxwell had a brother-in-law that called everyday and checked on him.  Isn’t that something?  Every day Robert called and Brother Maxwell died at 98.  Robert slipped away before Brother Maxwell died and I’m sure he missed the call.

Some of the greatest waters spiritually: when we learn the most is not on the mountain top of transfiguration, it is when we are down.  We serve Him because we love Him.

He will be with us when we pass through the rivers.  I like to creek fish.  As I age I’m not near as agile as I was even a year ago.  I went creek fishing this year and I didn’t want to even get close to a deep hole.  My balance isn’t what it used to be and when I slip I fall. 

Spiritually we don’t choose how deep the water is.  God chooses the river.  He left us a promise.  They shall not overflow thee.

When you walk through the fire:  Karen has been preaching in Sunday school on the wood, hay, and stubble.  She has been exhorting me that it is the fire that burns the wood, hay, and stubble. 

When there are things in our life that cause us to not be where we should, thoughts that pass through our mind, God has a way of sending the fire.  God says, “It is only a way to burn away the wood, hay, and stubble so that you might have the precious stones in your life.

In Matthew six he said, “I don’t want you concerned about what you are going to wear or eat.  I take care of the lilies and they have the beauty of King Solomon.  I don’t want you worrying about anything.  The father knows what things you have need of.”

Seek first the kingdom of God.  Romans 14:17 tells us that the kingdom of God is not a literal kingdom but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.  Jesus said not to look here or there for the kingdom, the kingdom of God is within you.

The world is designed to leave you without righteousness, peace, or joy.  Jesus promised to give it to us.

Elijah was a prophet in the days of drought.  God told him to go to a certain city for there was a widow lady there that would take care of his needs.  When he got to the gates of that city there was a widow lady that was picking up sticks and he said to her, “Would it be possible to bring me a drink of water?”  She said, “Sure.” 

Then he called to her, “could you also bring me a cake?”  She told him that she only had a little more meal and oil to feed her and her son and then they were going to die.  He told her to make him a cake first. 

She believed.  If there is nothing that can take care of the burden of your heart except a miracle, believe God.  She believed and came back with a cake.  For the rest of the season of the drought the meal and the oil did not run out.

Whether you have a temporal, financial, or a spiritual need, whatever God tells you to do first, do that and then you can trust Jesus. 

CW Naylor was born in 1919.  He was a man of God and one day a tragic accident happened.  He was taking down or putting a tent up for a meeting, something fell on him and he was injured so bad that he was not able to go anywhere.  He lay on a hospital bed and in the picture I saw, there was an old typewriter. 

For 7 to 9 years he was oppressed.  He couldn’t work or support his wife.  She went out and worked in a laundry.  Laundry is always hard work and it was even harder 100 years ago.  He lay there and lay there.  God sent a bird and the bird stood at his window and sang, “Cheer up, cheer up.”  The bird came back again and sang the same song.

He realized that he was the one that needed to change.  He wrote the book, “the secret of the singing heart”.  He died in the bed of affliction but he left us this song:

I walk to day in the Christian way though dangers I may see
I will not fear for the Lord is near and He will care for me.

No matter what happens He will care for me,
He will care for me, He will care for me
His mighty hand will enable me to stand
No matter what happens to me.