From Gary.... WHY BELIEVE IN GOD ?

WHY BELIEVE IN GOD ? 

Bible Reading: 1Pet. 3:15

SONG: WONDERFUL WORDS OF LIFE

INTRODUCTION

A. What causes our concept of GOD to 

     waiver, flicker ???

B. What we believe about GOD is tested at that time.

C. Why do we believe in GOD anyway ??

     1. Because he is real, not a figment of our 

         imagination.

     2. Because we need GOD !

D. WHY BELIEVE IN GOD ?

1. Faith is needed - Laura ingalls (little house 

                                   - prairie) encounter With 

                                      GOD - MOUNTAIN

2. Faithful need to remember

    a. Beware of Satan's unreal tools

    b. Be armed with the sword of the spirit - 

        Heb. 4:12

3. Find comfort in 1 Peter 1:3-9

BODY

A. GOD PROVIDES FOR OUR REAL NEEDS 1:3-4

1. NOT OUR GREEDS

    a. God knows our need - to serve

    b. GODLY CONFIDENCE = d/n worry Matt. 6:19-34

    c. Greed will eventually be punished Acts 5:1-11

2. NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE 

    ETERNAL

     a. To have GOD as our father (Jesus for us) 3

     b. To be given mercy and not justice 3

     c. To be born again 3

         1) Christ came for this

         2) Consider heaven John 3: 3-5

     d. To have a LIVING hope 3

        1) 100 years - what has value? hope Jesus

        2) 1 saying that is true - living without hope is not 

             living - suicide

      e. To receive a special inheritance.... 4

          1) IMPERISHABLE means permanent

          2) UNDEFILED means PURE Lev.  18:27

           3) UNFADING precious (crown of glory)1 Pet. 5 : 4

            4) RESERVED put aside Jn. 14 , 1Pet. 1:18, 

                                                      Acts 20:28

B. GOD PROTECTS US BY HIS POWER...5

    1. Protection and scripture = faith

        a. Hebrews 11:12 ...BY IT (FAITH) THE MEN OF 

                                          OLD GAINED APPROVAL.

         b. Isaiah 40:28-31; Jer. 1:18; 2 Cor. 11:24-33

         c. US ???!!! Mustard seed Matt. 17:20

     2. Protected to be SAVED!!!....5

C. GOD PROVES OUR FAITH BY ALLOWING TRIALS / 

     SUFFERING 6-7

      1. Suffering can glorify God 2Cor. 1:3--6

      2. Suffering can perfect us BITTER / BETTER ??? 

          Job 1:7-12

      3. Simple, eternal, proven = praise, glory, honor

      4. Sight of God wavering now ? 1Cor. 10:13;  heb 13:5 

                                                                Ro. 8:28

D. GOD PRESENTS US WITH SALVATION FOR OUR 

     SOULS...8---9

      Because....

      1. We love, though unseen = faith

      2. We BELIEVE , though unseen = faith

      3. We have faith, we rejoice = Salvation

CONCLUSION

A. WHY DO WE BELIEVE IN GOD ?? Because HE

     PROVIDES PROTECTS PROVES PRESENTS

B. WHY NOT BELIEVE - HAVE GOD BECOME REALITY  

                                        FOR YOU ?

From Gary V. Womack... THE MACEDONIAN CALL

THE MACEDONIAN CALL

At the end of Acts 15 we find Paul, Silas & Luke setting out on the second missionary journey to visit the churches that had been established during Paul's first missionary journey.

In Acts 16 we are told they visited Derbe & Lystra where they picked up Timothy.

Acts 16:6-10 AN URGENT CALL IN THE NIGHT 

                     while at Troas

vs. 9 "...There stood a man of Macedonia, and 

        prayed him, Come over to Macedonia, and 

        help us." [kjv]

      "...A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with 

       him, saying, "Come over to Macedonia and 

       help us.'" [nkjv]

pleaded (prayed) [parakaleo] - (Elsewhere translated beseech) - "To call to ones side, hence, to call to one's aid...which has a stronger force than aiteo (to ask)."

Acts 16:11-12 PAUL & HIS COMPANY WASTED 

                       NO TIME GETTING THERE,  

                       ultimately arriving a Philippi.

vs. 13 APPARENTLY THERE WAS NO 

         SYNAGOGUE THERE. Philippi was a Roman 

         military outpost & probably had few Jews

         living there since Claudius Ceasar had  

         banished the Jews from Rome (and likely from 

         any military outposts as well)

Acts 18:1-2 "After these things Paul departed from 

                    Athens and went to Corinth. [2] And he 

                    found a certain Jew named Aquila, 

                    born in Pontus, who had recently come 

                    from Italy with his wife Priscilla

                    (because Claudius had commanded all 

                    the Jews to depart from Rome); and he 

                    came to them."

MACEDONIA WAS AN UNPLOWED FIELD OF WORK - NEW GROUND FOR THE SEED OF THE GOSPEL TO BE PLANTED IN.

PHILIPPI: The base camp for the spread of the gospel in Macedonia. This was typical: Corinth (Achaia), Ephesus (Asia)

THE NEED FOR HELP IN PLANTING THE SEED WAS EVIDENT.

Acts 16:14-15 Lydia, the first convert in Macedonia.

SHE DID HER PART by housing these men who had come to this new work.

FROM A SERENE RIVERBANK TO A SWELTERING PRISON CELL

Things seemed to be going smoothly - then trouble came along.

Acts 16:16-24 Paul & Silas imprisoned unlawfully - 

                       without trial - after public flogging.

THIS INTERRUPTION COULD HAVE STIFLED THIS NEW WORK - BUT DID NOT.

In any work, Satan will do his part to destroy it. Problems will inevitably come.

2 Tim. 3:10-14 Persecutions were a part of the work 

                        in Antioch, Iconium & Lystra

                        (Acts 13 & 14)

Heb. 10:32-36 A letter written to those who knew 

                       what trials were like.

TRIALS ARE OVERCOME BY LOOKING BEYOND THEM - TO THE DESIRED END

Rom. 8:18 "For I consider that the sufferings of this 

                  present time are not worthy to be 

                  compared with the glory which shall be 

                  revealed in us."

Acts 16:25-34 Another convert - the Philippian 

                                                  jailer.

FROM THIS SMALL NUCLEUS OF CHRISTIANS A FAITHFUL CHURCH RESULTED.

Phil. 1:1-2 10 - 13 years after this work began we 

                             see it flourishing - elders & 

                             deacons.

HOW DID THEY GET TO THIS POINT?

Phil. 1:3-7 CONFIDENCE (faith) that Christ would 

                 complete His good work in these 

                 Christians.

Eph. 3:20-21 "Now to Him who is able to do 

                      exceedingly abundantly above all that

                      we ask or think, according to the 

                      power that works in us, [21] to Him be

                      glory in the church by Christ Jesus 

                      throughout all ages, world without

                      end. Amen."

WORK - They were "partakers with (Paul)...of 

              grace."

GRACE = "in my chains and in the defense and 

                 confirmation of the gospel."

THEY SHARED IN THE WORK WITH FAITH IN CHRIST!!!!

THIS WAS THEIR "fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now."

Phil. 1:27-28 CONDUCT WORTHY OF THE 

                     GOSPEL.

STANDING FAST IN UNITY - RESOLUTE! "striving together for the faith of the gospel."

One spirit, one mind, one purpose

ARE WE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE? - LOOKING TO THE SAME GOAL?

Is our focus on numbers - a building - another choice of places to worship - or lost souls?

Eph. 4:1-6 "...endeavoring to keep the unity of the 

                  Spirit in the bond of peace."

CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER - love (agape)

Phil. 2:1-4 Paul appeal rhetorically - IF (do) YOU 

                 HAVE THESE QUALITIES:

Encouragement ("consolation") in Christ

Comfort of love (lit.) "Allowing love [agape] to speak to us

."

Fellowship of the Spirit "Sharing or communing with the Spirit"

Affection and mercy [splanchnon] ("bowels and mercies", kjv) "Passion, yearning"

LIKE PAUL - THEY HAD THE SAME THINKING, resulting in the same:

Love [agape] - THAT RESULTED IN BEING OF:

One accord [sumpsuchos] (lit.) "one-souled"

One mind [phroneo] (lit.) "To be minded (or mindful) in the same moral interests as opposed to opinion."

NO SELFISHNESS - THIS LEAVES OUT OTHERS

Not looking out for self BUT Looking to the INTEREST OF OTHERS HOW?

KEEP IN CONTACT - LET BRETHREN KNOW WHEN YOU'RE AWAY

How would we react to our husband or wife leaving and saying nothing? "That's none of their business?"

COMMUNICATE!!! WE ARE FAMILY

FAMILY DEPENDS ON ONE ANOTHER

Eccl. 4:9-12 Solomon knew there is strength in 

                    numbers - we need one another

1 Cor. 12:20-27 Each member is important - not a 

                          burden.

1 Pet. 2:9-10 "But you are a chosen generation, a 

                      royal priesthood, a holy nation, His 

                      own special people, that you may 

                      proclaim the praises of Him who 

                      called you out of darkness into His 

                      marvelous light; [10] who once were 

                      not a people but are now the people 

                      of God, who had not obtained mercy 

                      but now have obtained mercy."