CORNERSTONE YOUTH CHURCH: Still Standing

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Introduction

• Life on earth is experienced on 2 planes

– Spiritual

– Physical

• Activities on both planes affects what you finally become in life and eternity.

Bible Text: 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. KJV

• Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Message

Bible Text: Rm. 8:31 - 39

• Rom 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

• Rom 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

• Rom 8:33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

• Rom 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

• Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

• Rom 8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

• Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

• Rom 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

• Rom 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In relation to life interactions, man takes several POSTURES.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

1. Face Down

Ps. 3: 1- 3

• When challenges are on an increase

• When things get tighter

• Shame

• Fed up

2. Flight

2 Sam. 15:14

a. When people feel overwhelmed by their situation

b. When they think they have done all and nothing seems to work

3. Turn Their Back

• Psa 78:9 The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.

• Either in denial or getting ready for flight

• When we refuse to take responsibility for our actions/State

4. Kneel

• Kneeling is a position of giving authority to another

• We are to kneel before our Maker Ps.95:6

• We can kneel before those higher than us

• It becomes an anomaly when we bow before people that we are meant to be higher than

5. Fall Down Flat

This is a position of defeat

Lost hope

Shame

6. Fighting

1 Tim 6:12, Eph6:12

This is a position of resisting opposition, overcoming assaults

7. Sitting

• Some sit waiting for good to happen to them Jn. 5: 2-6

• Some sit in indifference trying not to upset the applecart

• Some sit in a position of authority

8. Standing

• Standing is a position of alertness, victory

• Eph. 6:11 – Withstand Opposition

• Gal. 5: 1 – In Liberty

• 1 Cor. 16:13 – In Faith

• 1 Cor. 15: 1 – In the Gospel

The Default Mode of an Effective Christian is..

Sitting

Kneeling

Fighting.

Anything outside this is an insult on your Maker .

Various Shades of Life Interactions

Bible Text: Lk.19:11 -13

• Luk 19:11 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.

• Luk 19:12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.

• Luk 19:13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.

Occupy till I come means…

• Do business with this till I come …BBE

• Use this to earn more money until I get back." CEV

• Trade till I come. Douay Rheim Bible

• Engage in business until I come. ESV

• 'Operate with this until I return.' - MSG

• Buy and sell with these while I go and then return. AMP

• Events – Occurrence, Happenings, Circumstances, Incidents

• Ecc 2:14-15 The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all. Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.

• Ecc_8:14 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.

• Example

• Joseph

• Mary

• Mistakes (Ours and Other People’s) – Blunder of choice, judgement or action

• Ecc 10:5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler

• Jud_1:11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

• Example

• Uzzah - 2 Sam. 6

• Gehazi

• David

• Pressure – Constraint of circumstances, weight of imposition, urgency of matter

• Case Study: Saul 1 Sam. 13: 7 -14

• Example

• Financial

• Peer

• Work

• Relationship – The state of affairs existing between those having dealings or relation

• Luk_17:1 Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!

• Rom 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men

• Mat_10:36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.

• Example

• Joseph was sold by his brothers

• Jesus brothers called him mad

• Ammon was misled by his friend

Background – Gideon

Location/ Environmental Circumstance –

Involvement of spirits –

• Luk_13:16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?

Time Factor

• Ecc_9:11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

Age

• Gen_18:11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

Regardless of the Shade of life Interaction, God wants you to maintain.

Anything outside this is an insult on your Maker .