Sunday VT – 11/16/2014

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Speakers:

• Steve Atherton
• Charles Hocker

Scriptures used:

• Philippians 3:7-14

Subject:

• There are times in our walk that we focus on the Lord more at times and less at times.
• Looking back at our lives we see times that we have failed.  We haven’t done things to please the Lord.
• We have to press forward.  If we’re not willing to press forward where are we?
• When we get in a funk, we are not pressing forward.  The Lord gives us everything we need to press forward toward that mark.
• Those who call themselves Christians are going to have to stand up in faith and that will cause division.  If we cannot trust the Lord today how will we be in a pressing life and death situation?
• Not having mine own righteousness.  That is the key.  We judge ourselves.  It’s not about our faith, it’s Christ’s faith that prevails.
• In order to operate in His faith you can’t be concerned about establishing your own righteousness.
• We should have faith in Christ’s faith.  Not our own.  That He is big enough to accomplish that.
• We don’t see a lot of power of God and love out there.  When we don’t see that, we don’t see that God even exists.  It’s our job as believers to manifest His love, His power, so that people know that love actually does exist.
• V9:  “the righteousness which is of God by faith” – the righteousness that comes from God unto us.  If you don’t believe it you’re going to struggle.
• When we find ourselves in that place, it means we have taken our eyes off Jesus.
• Come just as you are to worship – what allows you to come is that love.  When you see that somebody actually cares about you and is not hung up about your faults and your failures, you can come just as you are.
• Out here in the world, love is all a big façade.
• What do we have here?  People. Not very much different from one another.  When we get down to differences, how different are they?  God is not a respecter of persons.
• David  – his story shows the grace of the Lord.  He served the Lord in many different ways.  He would have liked to have taken back what he did to Uriah, and he went through some tough things, but the Lord worked through that with His pattern of love.
• Are you really going to tell me you did worse than David?  Are we really that stupid?  Yes!
• And the truth shall make you free.  When you can come to a person because you know that person loves you and already knows the truth about you, you are free.
• One of the reasons Solomon sat on the throne was in honor of Uriah’s faith.
• What provoked him to pray for wisdom and the Lord poured it out upon him without measure.
• The Lord giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, but gives it to you when you ask.
• We each have different things we need to confront and wonder how to handle properly.  You ask in faith to Him who upbraideth not.
• If we are going to accept what we deserve, we don’t deserve anything.
• We have to get that notion out of our minds.  Want to do what is pleasing to God.  You don’t always do it.  Don’t dwell on it.  Go forward.
• The blood of Jesus Christ takes it all away and we can come to Him.  We sometimes have a price, but the Lord redeems it and uses it.  Like Paul, when he went to prison.
• Paul went through these things until he realized that it was the grace and love of Jesus Christ.
• Then he was set free.  His body was in chains but his soul and spirit were not in chains.
• Prayer turns things around 180 degrees.  When we tell the truth to an authority in the Lord, the Lord works through that authority to minister as is needed.
• We can come to the Lord with absolutely everything.  There is nothing that is off limits.
• When you come to Him, you give Him the opportunity to move and when He does, your faith in Him grows.  Bring it all and lay it all down, and when that happens, you will see the Lord move, and your life change.