Brother Gary Wednesday Evening 2/10/16
In reality the 6th chapter of 2nd
Corinthians is not just to the pastor.
It is to the workers and the servants.
It has jewels in it for every one of us.
2Co 6:1 We then, as
workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in
vain.
Thank God to be working with God; receive not the grace of
God in vain.
This is good instruction to us. We think of God’s grace that comes to us for
all the journey of life. It is for every
situation that we will meet. We think of
all the meanings of the grace of God.
God showers us with it and to think of us not using it as
God would desire for us to do!
2Co 6:2
(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of
salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is
the accepted time; behold, now is the
day of salvation.)
God chose that there would be time. There is a definite and accepted time that
God wants to move in an individual’s life.
There is a definite time to get saved. I am not saying that people cannot get saved
at a later date; I am saying that God’s plan is perfect for our lives.
For everyone that is here and for each one that we are
praying for and are burdened for, even if the time that God was dealing with
them before has lapsed, there is a definite time for them to get saved.
This scripture brings the thought, “Now is the accepted
time.” Right now is the time; when God
is dealing with a soul then now is the time.
Whenever the enemy can cause the soul to procrastinate then
he realizes that there is the possibility that they will never get saved.
2Co 6:3
Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:
Jesus asked the question, “What will a man give in exchange
for his soul?” Adam Clarke wrote a
thought that dealt with offending the conscience and setting aside the
conscience.
Whosoever shall save his life shall lose it. Sin and the world has only momentary things
to offer. All of us, no matter how young
we were when we got saved came to the realization that what sin is offering
will only at the longest be for a lifetime.
It is so sad to allow our conscience to take the thought, “I
am going to set my conscience aside for a while and am going to enjoy sin and
the world.” Don’t ever go that way.
Giving no offence:
Keep our conscience so keen so that every day we live so that there is
no offence.
2Co 6:4
But in all things approving
ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in
necessities, in distresses,
It is a wonderful thing to look to our conscience and know
that we did our best. “I prayed, sought
God, and I entered into the closet.”
We are living in a time when as far as I personally
understand, it is a greater challenge than ever to get the closet door shut. We have avenues of distraction in the world
we live in that are not sin, they are distracting.
Every one of us needs a daily closet experience. The church desperately needs every one of us
in there holding onto God for each other, for Sunday school lessons, for songs,
for an anointing, for captives to be set free.
I believe in the scripture that speaks of being hindered and
in a prison. The enemy wants to put us
in a prison so that we don’t feel that we are free to talk to individuals about
their spiritual need. When Ernie Sanks
was dying, I went to him and asked him if he knew that he was right with
God. I feel responsible before God. I want to have the opportunity to ask June
the same question.
Babylon will not ask those questions. It takes men and women that have died to
self, men and women that have experienced the cross.
As servants we can say, “I have done my best.” You can know that you have done your best.
Much patience – calmly trusting God in the valley of
weeping. It takes divine intervention to
have patience when you see souls bartering with their conscience. They barter with eternity, with children,
with the home.
Patience – calmly trusting God in the valley of weeping.
In difficulty – we all face difficulty. Hardship is a part of life. In heartache, I am trusting God. Right in the midst of this heartache I am
calmly trusting God. When you are so
disappointed, calmly trusting God.
We know disappointment.
There would not be one in this audience that would have to think very
long until you would say, “Even since January 1, I had prayed that someone that
really needed God would come and they didn’t.”
God won’t force them. They have a will and they have a choice.
Because we have a will, we have a choice. It is wonderful!
Calmly trusting God when heavily burdened and concerned. Armor of righteousness on the right hand and
on the left.
In affliction: There
is spiritual, mental, and emotional affliction. The enemy tries to vex
you.
In necessities: We
pray, we cry, we labor in necessity of reaching souls and the needs of the souls.
In stress and distresses.
These things are a part of our life.
If you don’t keep everything released to God you will be stressed all
the time. Even children know
stress. They shouldn’t.
There is not one here that would say that there is no stress
on my job. “My boss likes me, the people
I work with like me, we all know that there is a lot of work to do and everyone
else says, “Let me have the hard job.””
When you are doing your best then someone thinks, “It could
have been done better if someone else were doing it.”
The stripes: beat up spiritually. When people are not saved and sanctified,
they will make fun of you.
In prisonments: the toughest thing is you and I trying to
help someone that puts you in a prison holding you off, “I like you as a person
but don’t try to tell me about your religion.”
I have to go on to someone that does want to hear about God and let them
come to me when they decide they want to know about God.
Tumults: The world is
in such tumults. Paul labored with his
hands and in prayer. Watchings with open
door: We want to see progress toward and
not away from the kingdom. Fastings.
2Co 6:5
In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in
fastings;
2Co 6:6
By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy
Ghost, by love unfeigned,
2Co 6:7
By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of
righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
Proving ourselves in pureness. Any avenue that would take the pureness of a
child should be blocked. But that is not
the way that it is. Evil men and
seducers will wax worse and worse.
God gives you a built in protection of discernment. When you feel, “I don’t think I should get
close to that. I don’t think I want that
influence on my life.” Then don’t ever
go pat it. I told my children, “Whenever
you are uncomfortable with anyone, get away and don’t hesitate to come to
me. I will stand by you.”
Be pure. Boys and
girls need men and women with pure hearts and pure minds to be their
friends. Children need to know
friendship with people that are pure, that have their best interest at
heart. That have a pure conscience.
God help us to never offend our conscience by being
borderline on purity. God help us to
ever be pure toward everyone.
God help me to have an attitude, “I want to know the
truth. I want to know Genesis through
revelations.”
Quench not the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is vital. We
don’t want to give offence in any way.
He is a guide, a protector.
Giving no offence and with unfeigned love. God wants us to love each other. If you feel, “This sister is special and I
don’t care much about that one.” I
advise you to change. Don’t go that
way. There is a law of sowing and
reaping. Love them all.
Giving no offence to the word of truth. Isn’t truth wonderful?
Power of God; armor of righteousness on the right hand and
on the left.
Eph 6:10
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his
might.
Eph 6:11
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the
wiles of the devil.
Eph 6:12
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickedness in high places.
Eph 6:13
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to
withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Have you ever realized, “I need more of the armor on?” That is what Paul was talking about, “Giving
no offense.”
Take the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God; Praying.
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