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[0:00] well how about that you were just able to use your voice and together praise the Lord Jesus Christ and and do it in a way that was all about him and you didn't need a worship team and you didn't need a light show and you didn't need an electric guitar and drums you didn't need a whole big setup up here to pump you up so that we could worship the Lord how about that well that's good enough for me and I don't know if you know but and there was nobody up here throwing their voice around and dancing a little bit and getting your attention and I'm not going to go any further but you get the idea all right first Corinthians chapter 15 this morning and let's find that verse we read from last week it's behind me most of it's behind me maybe not most of it portion of it's behind me last Sunday began a message along the lines of what this verse is proclaiming and so I want to review that briefly and then continue on with some other thoughts first Corinthians 15 and we're reading together verse 58 the Bible says therefore my beloved brethren be ye steadfast unmovable always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord we studied last week from this passage the reason for this charge because of the word therefore and went previously through the chapters realizing that the Lord Jesus Christ has resurrected he's died for our sins in verse 3 that he was buried and rose again the third day and we studied that he's alive today and he was seen of many witnesses we also realized that because of him we have hope in Jesus Christ we have hope in this life and we have a hope and a promise from this Bible and even this passage that we that are in

[2:23] Christ and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation believe on him alone by the way for salvation that we in fact are going to be resurrected as well and given bodies incorruptible bodies that are immortal and they're spiritual not natural or not earthly and so we studied some of that and because of all of that because of the victory that's offered us in Jesus Christ then the charge was my beloved brethren be ye steadfast unmovable you don't want to quit you don't want to fall out of this race especially when you're this close to the end because you're going to get a glorified body you're going to be made like Jesus Christ you would certainly regret falling away at the end especially when you know what's coming to you therefore my beloved brethren he also we looked at the recipients of this charge they were his beloved brethren and I I took you through a little I didn't really turn to the passages but we saw that in this book this church was a mess I mean a real mess with all of the things that were going on in the disorder and the even the practices of them the sin the fornication among them the the carnality the strifes and divisions and contentions and Paul mentions a list of things and their their lack of discernment in their civil matters and their church matters and so much that he rebuked them for but then he said I love you my beloved brethren at the end of the book he says my love be with you all in Christ and we looked at the next book and saw that he had resaid look that letter I wrote to you was not to hurt you is not to harm you but it was to let you know that

[4:00] I love you in second Corinthians chapter two and so that was the the recipients of this charge were a people that were carnal that were weak in the faith but then he tells them in the next in 1613 to stand fast in the faith and quit you like men and be strong he was charging them to move forward even though they were weak he loved them and he cared for them and and I there's too much to say to backtrack through all of that that faithful are the wounds of a friend and those were faithful wounds a friend loveth at all times and Paul addressing that church trying to get them to go forward to where they could stand on their own and be steadfast and unmovable and then finally we saw there was a reward a recompense with this charge that your labor is not in vain in the Lord and God is faithful and ye serve the Lord Christ and he's a rewarder and so we we closed with those thoughts and I ended by saying a few things briefly that there are always always going to be something that will attempt to move you there will always be in the Christian life something or someone that will attempt to knock you out to knock you down from being steadfast in the Lord and I've been around long enough to see people come and go I've been around long enough as a kid to see families in the church that were solid and sound raising their children in church and then gone and never to come back never to go to a church again never to live for Christ I remember going to a man that I respected a man that was a influencer in my life for years and then he got out of church got bent out of shape over some stupid non non-church matter with the pastor something that really didn't matter that much but he couldn't let it go and I remember going to him several times and just visiting with him and imploring just please just come back we're having a special meeting you're gonna love this guy just he just he just said I can't do it I can't do it I can't do it couldn't swallow his pride just couldn't do it he was he was out he was moved he wasn't steadfast and I've seen it happen enough to know that there's always going to be something it can be large or small that can move you and I threw a few things at you and I'm going to continue with that thought and I'm going to move forward this morning and so take your Bibles and go back to 2nd Samuel 15 the challenge was to be like those mountains to not be a fair weather Christian that is like the flowers of the field or the grass that withereth and fadeth away but to be unmovable and secure and permanently fixed in the Lord Jesus

[6:35] Christ 2nd Samuel 15 I want to give you three things by way of Bible illustrations or stories from the scripture that show us things that can move us they can some they have others they haven't but I'll show you that there's plenty of things that can move you and the first ones here in 2nd Samuel 15 where this is this is where David is king David is a great king David is a warrior he's uh he is not an intimidated man he has fought the battles of the Lord coming up into this time God even calls him a bloody man saying you're not going to build that temple for me because your hands have shed a lot of blood and your your son's going to do this but David has a rebellion on his hands from his own son Absalom and look at verse 13 and 14 David's on his throne says there came a messenger to David saying the hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom and David said unto his servants that were with him at Jerusalem arise let us flee he's moving he's not unmovable is he for we shall not else escape from Absalom make speed to depart let he overtake us suddenly and bring evil upon us and smite the city with the edge of the sword and the king's servants say we're with you and they go with him and off he goes off of his throne physically moved out of his place and his throne and running from his own son I mean he's the mightiest king to date of Israel without a doubt no question that and he's running this is the same man that as a youth slew a bear slew a lion slew that giant of a Philistine as a youth now he's a full-grown man he's been established as the dominant powerful king of not just Israel but the entire region and now he's taken off and he's running from his throne why I think why is because of the one who's involved in this Absalom his son why if it was a Philistine king coming up you think he'd take off running if it was the Amorites any Canaanite do you think they'd be he'd be running from them why is he running from his son and here's what I want to draw out of this because in point number one is something that can move us we can be moved by what I'll call delicate problems what I mean by that is by things that are close to you family matters health matters private matters personal things those things can move you they can be embarrassing they can be a thing that you just you don't want to deal with the way you know you ought to deal with them the way you would deal with other things and instead they tend to get the victory and you go running away from where God puts you in this life look at chapter 18 this thing didn't only move David from his throne physically out of his place but it moved him so much and meant mentally and emotionally as well I'm trusting you know the story here how this battle goes down and how Absalom is ended up killed and Joab faithful a man here although some kind of paint the picture against Joab here I think Joab's doing the right thing and he kills Absalom and he comes the the word comes to the king verse 33 the last verse of that chapter 18 the Bible says the king was much moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept and as he went thus he said oh my son Absalom my son my son Absalom would God I had died for thee O Absalom my son my son my son he is moved and he is torn up on the inside the pain has moved him so and it's clouding his mind and

[10:35] he's not thinking right and how do you why would I say that well I'll continue reading look through the next eight verses of the next chapter and it was told Joab behold the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom the one that rebelled the one that had this whole insurrection and was ready to wipe out all of Jerusalem and all the king's servants the king's weeping for him and the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people for the people heard say that day how the king was grieved for his son and the people got them by stealth that day into the city as people being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle but the king covered his face and the king cried with a loud voice oh my son Absalom oh Absalom my son my son and Joab came into the house to the king and said thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants which this day have saved thy life and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters and the lives of thy wives and the lives of thy concubines in that thou lovest thine enemies and hatest thy friends for thou hast declared this day that thou regardest neither princes nor servants for this day I perceived that if Absalom had lived and all we had died this day then it had pleased thee well that's how you're acting David verse 7 he says now therefore arise go forth and speak comfortably unto thy servants for I swear by the Lord if thou go not forth there will not tarry one with thee this night and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy youth even or until now then the king arose and sat in the gate and they told all the people saying behold the king doth sit in the gate and all the people came before the king for Israel had fled every man to his tent so this man is he's moved and Joab comes to him and says it's time to man up you're the king all the eyes are on you and a lot rides on your response here to these family problems and it's going to get worse if you don't respond right it's going to get far worse if you don't stand up and handle your business king now the king the king David was moved he was moved out of his place physically he was moved internally emotionally spiritually you might say mentally and I'm not trying to say anything lightly of this situation or try to pretend that that all toughen up suck it up

[13:04] David you're a man you know I'm not pretending to just spout off like that because family matters are a big deal personal matters private matters are heavy they're real and David had to deal with one here that he didn't want to have to deal with I'm sure it was an extreme embarrassment to the king that his own son tried to take him out and I realize that families and private things I'm calling them delicate problems can be some of the hardest things that you will ever in your life have to deal with there's so much emotions attached to them your heart can be broken and in some cases in a lot of cases it seems on the surface it seems impossible for you to overcome and I'm not going to pretend to stand up here and say I'm a wall and that I'm permanently fixed and that I'm unmovable because I'm never going to be unmovable as a man I'll never be an unmovable wall I'm subject to personal problems I'm subject to emotional pain like everybody else's but there is a wall that I know of there is a way that I can be unmovable look at Psalm 18 you can leave your place there look at Psalm 18 let's run for you through just a couple of these Psalms and pull out some language that this man David spoke the scriptures praise God the scriptures inform us how to respond how to deal with emotional pain and personal problems and and who to reach for verse number one I just come through the first couple verses here I will love thee O Lord my strength the Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer my God my strength in whom I will trust my buckler and the horn of my salvation and my high tower

[15:15] I'll call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised so shall I be saved from mine enemies the sorrows of death come past me and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid the sorrows of hell come past me about the snares of death prevented me in my distress I called upon the Lord and cried unto my God he heard my voice out of his temple and my cry became came before him even into his ears look over at chapter 27 of Psalm 27 you and I may not be strong enough but our strength can come from a relationship that we have with the Lord Jesus Christ he can be that rock and that high tower that we can flee to in Psalm 27 and verse number one the Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear the Lord is the strength of my life and my life and my salvation of whom shall I fear the strength of whom shall I be afraid is he the strength of your life you'll need you'll need him there'll be a day when you need him and you need to find strength look at verses 4 and 5 one thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple for in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me he shall set me up upon a rock you understand that that's the desire that ought to be the desire of everyone I just want to be close to God I just want to be in his presence he'll hold me up he'll get me through he'll keep my feet from falling verses 7 and 8 hear oh Lord when I cry with my voice have mercy upon me and answer me when thou said is seeking my face my heart said unto thee life face Lord will I seek verse 14 wait on the Lord be of good courage for he shall strengthen thine heart wait I say on the Lord 28 verse 1 unto thee will I cry oh Lord my rock you understand that uh somebody who's never been through anything probably doesn't call the Lord his rock probably just says you're my savior you're the greatest thing ever you're good but when you understand what it's like to go down into the depths or to be shaken and knocked down and be able to call on the Lord and be able to have that have him just hold you up and be able to cling to his word and get strength from him then you understand you start calling him something different you start calling him you start calling him your rock my high tower you're my defense you're my shield you got me through it you protect me from falling look at chapter 31 his last verse 31 verse 3 another same thing 31 3 for thou art my rock and my fortress therefore for thy name's sake lead me and guide me the Bible says in the Proverbs that the name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous runneth into it and is safe and is safe the scriptures show us who to reach for and who to run to when there's these kind of problems I'm calling them delicate problems there are things that can be the worst of the worst those private things those quiet things those embarrassing things or whatever the case and you can be moved but Paul says be steadfast unmovable it's not just a charge to say come on toughen up it's it's a reality to say go to the Lord go to the Lord and let him be your strength let him help you endure it you can be moved by delicate problems it did it for King David a strong man a man that was close to God and take advice from him you're not stronger than him I'm sure neither am I take advice from him then we need to go to the Lord we need to put our trust in the Lord in verse 31 1 he said in thee oh Lord do I put my trust let me never be ashamed deliver me in thy righteousness

[19:25] we need to learn to learn to trust in the Lord in thy righteousness we need to learn to trust in the Lord in thy name and not be ashamed all right come to let's go to Nehemiah if you're back there still go back to the left a little bit and see if you can find Nehemiah I want to take another look at another story here and say that not only can you be moved by delicate problems Nehemiah the wicked Nehemiah is in a situation where he is mourning that his city Jerusalem has been destroyed and now they had gone back and they had built the temple again but the city itself was in ruin and he was upset about that and he was the king's cupbearer as we learn in chapter 1 and the king allows him to go back to the city and rebuild the city wall and by the Lord's to build and by the Lord's to build and by the Lord's to build and by the end of the book the walls built up things are restored some order restored into the city and the Lord's being worshipped again the right way but all along this so the point is he was victorious in his quest but all along the way they tried to move him and Nehemiah by the grace of God was steadfast in his work the work of the Lord but all along the Lord but all along the way there was depraved people that were trying I'm going to show you the instances look at Nehemiah chapter 2 trying to knock him out and I'll show you some of the things that they used so Nehemiah chapter 2 and verse 19 verse 19 they as soon as they get to the land I mean in verse 11 I came to Jerusalem and as soon as he gets there and he kind of goes out there in that passage and surveys what's going to take place what are you doing here Nehemiah and he gets resistance verse 19 when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the servant Tobiah must be a pretty good guy Tobiah the servant the Ammonite and Geshem the Arabian heard it they laughed us to scorn and despised us and said what is this thing that you will do what do you think you're doing will you rebel against the king and he says no God sent me here to do this work but the very first thing he comes up with is ridicule and these men despising them for even showing up with this idea that they're even going to do this for God look at chapter 4 and verse number 3 here's the same guy Tobiah the Ammonite was by him and he said even that which they build the same wall and so he's going to do this for the same wall and so he's going to do this for the same wall and so he's reproaching him Nehemiah says in verse 4 he's mocking him mocking the workers you guys don't know what you're doing anyway couldn't build anything he bunch of jokers go back to where you're from and so they get ridicule and mockery look at chapter 4 and verse 8 it gets much worse and describes these men it says then conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem and to hinder it so they're conspiring to fight against them that's real threats there to not just resist the work but to fight them and it gets worse look at verses 11 and 12 and our adversary said they shall not know neither see till we come in the midst among them and slay them and cause the work to cease and it came to pass that when the Jews which dwelt by them came they sent unto us 10 times from all places when she shall return unto us they will be upon you

[23:27] they said you don't know when we're coming but we're coming and we're taking you down we're going to kill you you keep working on that wall we're killing you we're going to show up when you least expect it 10 times they said you don't know which way we're coming either that was some real stuff that was some real threats they're saying watch your back now how are they going to combat all of this ridicule and mockery and conspiracies around them to fight them and to kill them threats against their own lives why if somebody stood out here in this parking lot and mocked you or if your family stood at your door in your house and just mocked and mocked you for going to church some of you'd quit coming you just it's not worth it you wouldn't handle the ridicule or the mockery in your home and then some of you if people stood at this door showed up here and said you keep coming here we're going to show up you don't know when one of these weeks we're going to come in here we're going to take out every one of you you'd be you'd be like well this is just not worth it I'm not taking a chance you wouldn't show up for church would you you'd find a reason that would be good enough for you to not be steadfast this was what the the real kind of situation they're in here but they could remain unmovable and they continued on and they remained steadfast how is that well let's take a look at it in chapter 2 come back to chapter 2 in verse 18 they could remain unmovable when first they make preparation verse number 18 then I told them of the hand of my god which was good upon me as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me and they said let us rise up and build notice this so they strengthened their hands for this good work now they haven't even started building the wall yet but they're relying that this is of the lord and this has got the king's words behind him they they're all in so let's rise up let's do this they're having a group meeting here together let's do this let's go out there and do this work for god they strengthened their hands together they got prepared there was one reason why they didn't just knock down and fall out and and be moved when the opposition came at first was because they had been prepared for this together they had a time together and there's something that you don't ever want to do when problems kind of push at you is is get away from your brothers and sisters you don't want to go isolate somewhere you don't want to walk away from god's people because they'll strengthen you they'll strengthen your hands they they were together on this and that preparation helped them that decision to be together and to work let's do this for god this is god's work and we're in that helped them right away the mockery came and the ridicule didn't stop them because they were prepared for it look at chapter 4 in verse number 6 and here we see that the people had a mind to work in verse number 6 so build we the wall built we the wall and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof for the people had a mind to work their minds are so engaged in the work not in the ridicule and the opposition and the threats they remained unmovable through this with their mind to work now further in this passage in verse number 9 they remained unmovable and another way you can is when you engage in prayer in verse number 9 nevertheless we made our prayer unto our god when when the conspiracy came to light in verse 8 they're going to come and fight against us and hinder us we made our prayer unto god and set a watch over them day and night because of them they remained they engaged in prayer they decided let's get god's attention we want him involved if we're going to be threatened if the enemy is going to engage against us if depraved people are trying to move us this was nehemiah's go-to by the way

[27:22] I won't take you the time to turn but in chapter 1 when he was mourning about the walls he prayed you can read his prayer in chapter 1 in chapter 2 when the king's speaking to him and puts him on the spot about something so I prayed to the god in heaven he prays throughout this when he's faced with adversity he's praying here in chapter 4 verses 4 and 5 he turns and just goes to prayer when there's adversity in this very narrative of this book he's throwing up prayers like chapter 5 and verse 19 and chapter 6 and verse 14 and it goes throughout he just is throughout the narrative he's in prayer he's in communion with god well that'll help you that'll help you from depraved people trying to move you from your walk with jesus christ that'll help you to remain steadfast when you get god involved when you learn how to take it to the lord in prayer there's a one of our hymns here let me find it this is a good one you know the hymn 354 it's what a friend we have in jesus what a friend we have in jesus all our sins and griefs to bear what a privilege to carry everything to god in prayer oh what peace we often forfeit and oh what needless pain we bear why oh because we do not carry everything to god in prayer but they wanted god involved sometimes we don't have we trials and temptations is there trouble anywhere we should never be discouraged take it to the lord in prayer can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share jesus knows our every weakness take it to the lord in prayer are we weak and heavy laden cumbered with a load of care precious savior still our refuge take it to the lord in prayer do thy friends despise forsake thee take it to the lord in prayer in his arms he'll take and shield thee i will find a solace there prayer they engaged in prayer that helped them there's something else that helped them we read it in verse 9 we made our prayer they also took precautions they can remain unmovable when you take precautions they were prepared for battle and this is real look at verses 13 through 17 of this passage look what they did in setting a watch against them in verse 13 therefore set i in the lower places behind the wall and on the higher places i even set the people after their families with their swords their spears and their bows and i looked and rose up and said unto the nobles to the rulers and to the rest of the people be not ye afraid of them remember the lord which is great and terrible and fight for your brethren your sons your daughters your wives and your houses and it came to pass when our enemies heard that it was known unto us that god had brought their counsel to naught then we returned all of us to the wall every one to his work and how did they do that work verse 16 it came to pass from that time forth that the half of my servants wrought in the work and the other half of them held both the spears and shields and the bows and the aborigines and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah they which build it on the wall and they that bear burdens with those that laid it every one with one of his hands wrought in the work and with the other held a weapon the builders every one had his sword girded by his side and so builded they took precautions notice when the enemy opposition peaked when the threat was as high as it could ever get they took precautions they didn't just go on praying they were proactive they got their weapons they stood up and said you're not coming in here you're not taking us we'll fight notice this though

[31:23] they kept their weapons closer than ever as they builded and were steadfast and abounding in the work of the Lord they kept their weapon right there by their side you know what this Bible is called it's called the sword of the spirit this is not the time to get away from your weapon when the depraved people are mocking and threatening when the wicked surround you when it seems that you just can't hold on any longer that they're going to knock you out you can remain unmovable you better keep your weapon close and finally they remained unmovable when God's work was their priority notice in chapter 6 and verses number 2 through 4 Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me saying come let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono but they thought to do me mischief and I sent messengers unto them saying I'm doing a great work so that I cannot come down why should the work cease while I leave it and come down to you that they sent unto me four times after this sword and I answered them after the same manner these guys are just trying to bait him in to coming to them to leaving the work that he's called to do for God to come and have a meeting and he knows better he has discernment insight that they're thinking to do him mischief and harm so he remained unmovable because he kept

[32:46] God's work his priority why should the work cease I'm not quitting what I'm doing for God for you I'm not stopping for you it's a priority to me and that's something you can learn to take as a mindset how you can keep yourself from being moved to remain unmovable and steadfast is to make God's work your priority you don't quit for anybody you don't skip what God has for you because the world invites you to something do you realize that this applies I'll just apply it here in your attendance to church how's that when somebody that's not a born again Christian or even a Christian tries to draw you away from Sunday or Wednesday or wherever when you belong in church and you know it and they invite you to something and you say sure I'll go it's no big deal do you realize that you're leaving the work of God to go meet with them and you don't see it but there's a devil underneath all of that that's just in them using them drawing you out drawing you away from the work of God he said why should I leave the work of God why should I leave this great work and come down to you going down away from where

[34:04] God has him he remained faithful in his place but you can be moved by depraved people people that get away from God I know you think oh they're saved they're Christians well then why are they trying to keep you from going to church on Sunday morning because there's some depravity in them that's why amen the world's going down and the world is not trying to help you do right and sadly in some cases for some of you it's even Christians and believers that you know and like that aren't trying to help you do right and they're not trying to help you serve God they don't want to see you remain steadfast and unmovable in your walk of faith well in this case here these depraved people they're the wicked they have a different father they have different desires they have different goals they have different values and ultimately they have a different destination and whether it's the lost or whether it's even the backslidden that are saved that aren't living right you're going two different directions believer they're going this way you're going that way you be steadfast you don't let them turn you around look at a place in the New Testament with me look at 1 Thessalonians chapter 2 1 Thessalonians 2 and I want to point out here something that you can expect 1 Thessalonians chapter 2 and look at the first two verses here some things you can expect from depraved people from the unregenerate and this is what happened with this church here for yourselves brethren know our entrance in unto you that it was not in vain but even after we had suffered before and were shamefully entreated as you know at Philippi we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention so Paul's just trying to fulfill his ministry he's received of the Lord but he's he's being resisted with contention and being entreated shamefully and he says we had suffered and he expected that look at verses 14 and 15 for ye brethren became followers of the churches of God which in Judea are in Christ

[36:29] Jesus for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen even as they have of the Jews who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets and have persecuted us and they please not God and are contrary to all men so this is they've been experiencing it too look at chapter 3 the first three verses wherefore when we could no longer forbear we thought it good to be left at Athens alone and sent Timotheus our brother and minister of God and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ to establish you and to comfort you concerning your faith that no man should be moved by these afflictions for yourselves know that we were appointed thereunto so when the depraved people of this world mock and when they threaten when they persecute when they're causing them to suffer when they're entreating them shamefully and contending with them you don't have to be moved you can be completely steadfast because you expect it because you understand the battle and you're not easily moved by them this church here got to taste it and Paul said I'm praying for you

[37:41] I'm praying for you to stand fast in the faith alright now thirdly I want to say this that you can be moved by what I'll call disruptive predicaments and I'm just going to turn you to one passage it will be done at this passage Acts chapter 20 there's something else that can move and can cause a believer to not be steadfast and not abound we can be moved by disruptive predicaments there's times you're going to find yourself in this life between a rock and a hard place and you're going to say what am I going to do my plans my thoughts the way it was going is completely disrupted and there's situations that are probably out of your control and sometimes they put pressure on you and the easy thing to do is quit the temptation is to give it up to walk away and not remain steadfast in Acts chapter 20 notice this is the apostle

[38:43] Paul and this is something I mentioned last week at the end in chapter 20 verse 22 Paul says this and now behold I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem not knowing the things that shall befall me there now he does know some things because he's been told all along the way that it's not going to be good save that the Holy Ghost witness in none of these things move me neither can I my life dear unto myself so that I might finish my course with joy in the ministry which I have received to the Lord Jesus to testify the gospel of the grace of God and now the apostle Paul has such a burden he says I'm bound in the spirit I have to go to my own country to preach the gospel to them God has sent me all over these towns and cities in Asia Minor and through even the whole region as you look in the back in your maps you see this man has spent his ministry for Jesus Christ going to the Gentiles the whole time he cares about the

[39:44] Jews he cares about his family he cares about the ones that trained him he cares about his country men and you see that in Jerusalem and I'm going there to testify the gospel of the grace of God but every time I talk about this the Holy Ghost tells me it's going to be bonds and afflictions for you Paul if you go even into the next chapter this chapter ends with them weeping and crying and saying their goodbyes and into the next chapter he heads chapter 21 he heads to Jerusalem and before he the north eastern bank and forget the city he's in Tyre I think he's in Tyre and he comes about halfway to Jerusalem comes down to Caesarea down the coast there and a man from a prophet from Jerusalem comes and meets him this is in 10 11 and 12 and he tells him that he grabs his girdle and he tells him that the

[40:52] Jews are going to bind the man that owned it this girl and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles he prophesies Paul's on his way days from entering the city the guy that goes there is going to get bound but he's not moved from this his desire is to see him saved and we could go through point by point through the rest of this book and follow the steps of the apostle Paul but he I'm going to purify myself because I've been with Gentiles they're not going to receive me they're not going to let me be in there or go into their temple and as a matter of fact he went into the temple to do this vow of purification and the whole goal was to be able to reach his brethren the Jews when they saw him they declared oh this man he's been show up and they left beating of

[41:55] Paul Paul didn't even get to do what he wanted to do his heart so I just want to preach the gospel never even got to happen there in Jerusalem like he had hoped because the word the Lord was right and put him in bonds so quickly now the story unfolds and you can read through there and see that he does get to minister here and there and witness to them and so forth but the attitude the mindset is what we're getting Paul said none of these things move me that was some disruptive predicament he found himself in disrupting the plans he had to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ didn't happen ended up in prison but he didn't quit he didn't back up he got beat he got imprisoned he got shipwrecked there was chapter dead every step of the way but he meant it when he said it none of these things moved me serving

[43:01] Christ was Paul's desire with every breath that he had he says this for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God Paul calls himself a servant of Jesus Christ called to be an apostle separated unto the gospel of God that's all I'm doing Paul tells us let us not be weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not so Christian this morning we looked at the scripture we understand the position that we are to be resolved we are to stand fast we are to remain steadfast and unmovable we understand that God is that God will not be able to

[44:06] God is sufficient for us God assures us that he cares about us so what are you going to do about it when push comes to shove what are you going to do about it when you're struggling I recommend you take strength from these examples and take strength from the scriptures and run to the Lord Jesus Christ and firm up your grip and hold fast to the Lord Jesus Christ do you see why your relationship your personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ is so important when the pressure gets put on your life it doesn't matter if your mom and dad are good Christians it doesn't matter if you have a pastor or deacon or somebody that you know that will pray for you it's you that needs to be able to have a relationship with him if you don't know the Lord Jesus Christ is your savior you're just on a sea just drifting further and further and further you need to call out to the

[45:09] Lord Jesus Christ if you're struggling take strength God will never put you through the ringer more than you can handle maybe you've never been put through the ringer yet maybe you've never tasted some of this hardships of life maybe you've never really been pushed to the limit of being where you need to be unmovable then through all of this take this charge to your heart and prepare yourself and understand that you're not invincible understand that your plans will get disrupted one day and you'll find yourself maybe in an embarrassing situation and a hard one and one that you don't want to face then your resolve will be put to the test are you going to go to the scriptures and draw strength and hold it fast to be unmovable be steadfast unmovable you say I can't yeah you're probably right but

[46:10] Christ can Christ can he is steadfast he is unmovable learn to hide in him let's bow our heads together we'll be dismissed here in just a moment spending the time today addressing Christians addressing people that know Jesus Christ and that are trying to live this life above reproach and trying to live this life for him when there's things that are against us but I wonder this morning is everybody in here what we call a Christian I didn't say do you know that Jesus lived do you believe in God I'm asking have you ever been saved have you ever believed on the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior do you know that if you died today if today is your last day on earth and you drop dead do you know do you know that your name is written in the book of life do you know that right now are you afraid to die do you realize that

[47:19] Christ died for your sins and that salvation and deliverance from those sins is in the person of Jesus Christ it's not in this church it's not in any man but the Lord Jesus Christ alone salvation is in a person and it's in a person that died for your sins I want to invite you if you're not sure that you're saved I want to invite you to talk with me after this service and let God said not what a church says what God said right in the book you'll be able to see it you can know that you're saved that your sins are covered and forgiven and that you have eternal life you can have it and the Bible says you can know it and I know it so I'd love to be able to share that with you Christian what about you are you steadfast have you been moved is it these delicate problems in this world these private things that shake you up or is the depraved world the people around you wearing you down are you able to stand up and be a witness for

[48:32] Jesus Christ at work like you ought to be do they know you're saved do they know you're different or have you been moved be ye steadfast believer unmovable I want to encourage you and draw you to the Lord Jesus Christ and let him be your strength to grow your relationship with Jesus Christ that's the only thing that's going to get you through knowing him and holding on to that book burying yourself in that book and letting its words and the life of those words come inside of you and strengthen you we're going to stand together and sing a hymn 354 what a friend we have in Jesus please join me in standing 354 and if you need to do any business with the Lord or talk to him feel free to come forward as we sing 354 Joe he their

[49:52]  Mus