A Parting Prayer for the brethren

Q: What does the Bible say about humility?

The Bible teaches that humility is essential for believers, as God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5). The Bible emphasizes humility as a vital attribute for believers. In 1 Peter 5:5, it states that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. This reflects the notion that humility aligns with acknowledging one's dependence on God's grace rather than one's own worth or abilities. Moreover, humility is portrayed as crucial in our relationships with others, where believers are called to submit to one another and be clothed in humility. This posture helps cultivate unity and love among brethren, asserting that true greatness in the kingdom of God is found in serving rather than seeking to be served.

Q: How do we know grace is sufficient for us?

Grace is sufficient for us because God, described as the God of all grace, continually provides for our needs during trials (1 Peter 5:10). The assurance that God's grace is sufficient is grounded in the nature and character of God Himself, identified as the 'God of all grace' in 1 Peter 5:10. This scripture reassures us that after we have suffered for a while, God will make us perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us. His grace is not just adequate; it is abundant and expansive, designed to meet our every need, particularly in moments of trial and hardship. The suffering we endure serves a purpose, refining us and drawing us closer to Him, thereby illuminating the sufficiency of His grace in our lives. In moments of weakness, we can lean into God's promises and find that His grace is enough to sustain us.

Q: Why is dependence on God important for Christians?

Dependence on God is crucial for Christians because it acknowledges our need for His grace and strength in all aspects of life (1 Peter 5:7). Dependence on God is vital for the Christian life as it aligns our hearts with the reality of our limitations and His limitless power. In 1 Peter 5:7, we are encouraged to 'cast all our care upon Him; for He careth for you.' This call to dependence is a reflection of our relationship with Him, where recognizing our need for Him enhances our humility and cultivates a deeper reliance on His grace. By understanding that God is in control and cares for us, we can walk confidently in faith, even amid trials. Such dependence fosters spiritual growth and maturity, allowing believers to experience the fullness of life in Christ, reassured that His strength is made perfect in our weakness.

Q: What does it mean to be called to eternal glory?

Being called to eternal glory signifies God's gracious invitation to partake in His everlasting kingdom through Christ (1 Peter 5:10). The concept of being called to eternal glory encapsulates the profound truth of God's redemptive plan for His people. In 1 Peter 5:10, the scripture states that God has called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus. This calling is not by our merit but solely by His grace, affirming our identity as His chosen and beloved children. The promised eternal glory involves a future hope where believers will be fully restored, perfected, and enjoy everlasting fellowship with God. It underscores the transformation that occurs in the believer's life through Christ, moving from suffering in this present age to the ultimate glorification where we experience perpetual joy and peace. This hope is a source of encouragement for Christians enduring trials, reminding us that our present sufferings will give way to unimaginable glory.

Thank you, John and Jeanette. All right, 1 Peter chapter 5. Let's read verse 10. Again. And. Before I read this. I may be mistaken, but. This may have been the last message
that Bill Clark preached for us when he was here. I distinctly
remember him preaching from this verse. I don't know when it was. It may very well have been the
last one he preached here. But let's read that, verse 10. But the God of all grace who
hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus. After
that you have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish,
strengthen, settle you. Let's read the next verse. To
him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Now that begins,
verse 10 begins with the word but. So we can't begin there. But. So we got to go back. Let's go back. Well, let's go back to verse
5. At least the last part of verse
5 says. Well, let's read the whole verse
5. Likewise, ye younger submit yourselves
unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one
to another. We've been. Peter has kept in
the same vein all the way through, hasn't he? We just looked at
that. Above all things have fervent
charity, hospitality, and so on in chapter four. And he says,
be subject one to another. Husbands to wives, wives to husbands. Both. Young to old, old to young. Be subject one to another. Be
clothed with humility. Be clothed with it. For God resisted
the proud. God resisted the proud. There's
a passage over in Isaiah that struck me the first time I ever
read it. Isaiah 23 and 9. It says, A LORD
of hosts hath purposed it. God had purposed it. This is
his purpose and God will do what he purposes. It says, the Lord
of hosts had purposed it to stain the pride of all glory and to
bring into contempt all the honor of the earth. So pride, God hates
it. You remember over in Proverbs
16, six things the Lord hates. Yes, seven. And the first thing,
pride. He hates it. He absolutely hates
it. It's especially abominable in
a believer who knows that they are what they are by the grace
of God. That everything they are and
have is a gift. And so to be proud in any form
is absolutely odious to God Almighty. It says that, doesn't it? God
resisted the proud and giveth grace to the humble. I need grace, so what am I going
to have to do? Humble. Humble. So, verse 6 says, Humble yourselves. Therefore, humble yourselves. Humble yourselves. Now, this
whole life is one humbling experience for the believer. You know, that's
what it's meant to do. in the believer it's the opposite
of the world when you see that don't you worldlings just become
more and more lifted up pride more than know the more they
accumulate don't they until finally they get just haughty high minded that's what
he said in 2 Timothy 3, the last day, perilous time. Hi, my proud
Oster. But this world and everything
in it, I mean this life and everything in it, God uses to humble believers. It's meant to bring us down, whatever it takes. Whatever it takes, God is going
to bring us down. Why? Well, let me tell you what
humility is first. He says, humble yourself. Then
he said, humble yourself. God is going to humble the believer. How do we humble ourselves? That's
what he said, doesn't he? Well, humble yourself by thinking
less and less of yourself. less and less of yourself, less
and less of your worth. Paul was the greatest apostle
of all. Why? Because he said, I'm not
fit to become an apostle. Right? Paul was a great, God used him
greater than any because Paul said, and he really believed
it in his heart, I'm less than the least of all the saints. We need to think less and less
of our own worth. God doesn't need me. He can make
a rock do what I do. Now we see it. I can make of
these stones children of Abraham. He doesn't need me. Oh, I sure
need him. Think less and less of your own
ability. Paul said this, again quoting
the Apostle Paul, he said, we're not sufficient to even think
anything of ourselves. Paul said, I can't think one
right thought except by God's grace. And to be humble makes us more
and more dependent. on God, on Christ. Humble yourself. Humble yourself. I love 2 Corinthians
10. Let me just read it for you.
I've got several verses of Scripture I want to look at tonight. But
this one says, Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth
itself against the knowledge of God, Bringing into captivity
every thought of the obedience of Christ. Learn that and you'll
learn something of what it means to humble yourself before God. Humble yourself. Look at the
next verse here in 1 Peter. He says that God may exalt you
in due time, casting all your care upon him. For he cares for
you. Casting all your care upon him. It's a humbling thing to have
to depend on somebody. Not many of us in here like to
be dependent on anybody. Right? Some of you older folks,
one of your fears, some of you older folks like Ed, All older folks, all people,
they worry about getting old and having to depend on the children
or something, or getting, you know, having to go to a nursing
home and all that. Very humbling thing. Scripture says that's
the way it's going to be. You know, the fact of the matter
is, we're totally dependent right now. I mean absolutely dependent. have been since the day we were
born. Why not cast all your care on Him because He has it anyway?
Right? Well, there ain't nothing we
can do about it anyway. If we keep all this care to ourselves,
we can't take care of one another. For He careth for you. Now that's
a twofold meaning in that. Cast all your care on Him because
He careth for you. First of all, that means He's
in charge of you. He's caring for you. He always
has been, always will. Why should you bear the burden
of testimony? He's got it anyway. We don't
need to bear it. He's got bigger shoulders. And
it means he cares. He has compassion. He has concern.
Love for you. There's no reason for my daughter
to worry about anything. You know, there's no reason for
her to stay awake at night, worried about whatever. None whatsoever. Go to sleep. Why? Because your
daddy cares for you. That's what this means. All right,
look at the next verse. Be sober. Heard that before. Just heard it Sunday morning.
Be sober. That is, don't be taken up with. Deborah, you asked about
our lesson, son? Here it is. Becky, Wendy, you weren't here.
Be sober. That means, and we've looked
at how that we can, be sober means just what it says. Don't be drunk. And, but people
get drunk on more things than just alcohol and drugs. Being drunk means being inebriated,
being consumed with something so that you don't think straight.
And people get that way about everything, whatever it may be. Some thing or someone. People
get drunk to the point that they're not thinking right. Their minds
aren't right. They're not reasoning. And for
a believer, not thinking on things above, being absolutely drunk
on this world, Be swooned by vanity fair. Don't
do it. Be sober. Think right thoughts. Your affections set on things
above, things that are higher, things that are nobler. Don't
be inebriated. Don't be in the gutter with the
rest of the drunks. Be sober. Be vigilant. You know what it
means to be vigilant, don't you? Any of you ladies who have had
a sick child at night? I mean very sick. You're worried
about the child, maybe gone to the emergency room. Did you keep
vigil by that bed? Yes, ma'am. That's what this
means. Be vigilant. Be on guard. Be
watchful. On guard because, look at the
next line, because your enemy, your adversary, the devil, as
a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour. That's
what the Lord said to Peter, didn't he? Satan hath desired
you. He hath desired you. Whom resist? Verse 9. Whom resist? Steadfast. That means constantly
put up a struggle. Steadfast means never put down
your guard. If you're keeping vigil, vigilant,
and you're steadfast, That means you don't lay gun down. That means you don't quit watching.
It means you don't fall asleep if you're on guard. But you resist
steadfast, and here's the key, in the faith. Now if you're interested,
and every believer should, because believers are the ones that are
assaulted. Believers are the ones whom the devil Seeketh to
devour he doesn't seek to devour the world he's gone there as
Paul said to Timothy there there held captive. At his way lately
he's got. Religious nearly. It's the believer
it's a believer who's been. Who is now has been freed by
Christ from that captivity. And now they're willing captives
of Christ and there are the chief point of Satan's assault. And it's a whole lot more subtle
for the believer too. William Kinnall has a wonderful
book on Ephesians 6 and in it he talks about the wiles of the
devil and I've never read anything quite like it. And he gets to
the bottom of He really exposes so much of the subtleties of
Satan and the believer. Do you remember me giving you
this? Well, I've given this several
times. He said, Satan will take the
believer. who's trusting in Christ and
Christ alone, who believes he's saved by the righteousness and
the shed blood of Jesus Christ alone, by the sovereign grace
of God, period. No help from him. But he's trusting
Christ alone. And he said, Satan will take
that person and absolutely bombard them with every known temptation
to man. just at all times, so that that
person thinks they're too evil to be saved. How could I be and
think such thoughts? How could I be? You understand? He's assaulting the person that
trusts Christ with every known temptation, so that they think
I'm too bad to be saved at times. But then he take that person
out there in the world who's trusting themselves, who's trusting
the profession, their baptism or whatever, you know, that they're
a member of some church, you know. And he withholds from them
temptation. I know you've run into people
at work that don't seem to have the same problems you have with
sin. I told you about that fellow. That machine is that. It was a real religious and a
preacher you know and I had all those girly magazines all over
the table you know. And he was on one in there and
I left you know and. I was wanting to see if he was
going to look. I was going to catch him. That
was sneaky of me saying I shouldn't have done it but I went and acted
like I shut the door and he didn't look. He wasn't interested. Now, folks, there's not too many
men on the top side of this earth that could refrain their eyes.
I'm just telling the truth, men. Here's the point. Satan will
take a person who's self-righteous, who thinks, you know, that they're
saved and sure for heaven as if they're already there, and
withhold from them temptation. struggles with sin, so that they
think they're too good not to be saved. I must be saved. I've got the victory over this.
I've got the victory over that. Now, that's something, isn't
it? I remember that. I read that
as a young believer, and it stuck with me ever since. Why do I
struggle like this? And these people don't seem to
have any struggle. That's why. Because you've got an adversary.
He's got them. All he has to do is leave them
right where they are. Leave them alone. If Christ has you, then
he's going to assault you. How do you resist him? How do you resist him? Grit your
teeth? Put up your fists? No, we're
not wrestling against flesh and blood. Right here is the key.
It says, in the faith. What's the faith? What's it mean to be in the faith? Does that mean be in the church
or in the denominator? Christ. In Christ. Christ said, now without me,
you can do nothing. But with me now, I can do all
things through Christ, which strengthens me. And he's just
called away. It's just a call away. Just a
call away. Don't even have to call. In the
faith. In the faith. So if you want
to say something, do like Michael. Say what? Say with Michael, the
Lord rebuked thee. I'm not able. You need a stronger
than he, don't you? And there's only one. It's not
me, it's not you. Only Christ. Christ can step
on his puny little head. He can just jerk his leash. Just jerk his leash. Well, resist
steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same, and this is a
help right here, verse 9. This is a help. Knowing that
the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in
the world, that are out there in the world. That was good for me to be among
all those heathens there for a while. So I wanted to be here,
but I forgot what it's like to have to put up with these people. You all do, you know, day in
and day out. I'm talking about that trip we
went on, you know. Remember me telling you I was
tired of these people? Well. It was good for me, because
I forgot what it was like. And you had to put up with it,
day in and day out. Vexed with their conversation.
And it says, and it's good to know, it's comforting to know
that the same troubles you're having, John, you're having,
the same trouble you're having, Teresa's having. Teresa's having
the same trouble you're having, Polly's having. Roberta's had
it. Everybody's had it. Same trouble. Look at this word. I like this
word here. It says the same afflictions that are what? Accomplished. What? The same afflictions that
are accomplished. Did you think of a verse of Scripture,
John? I did. where Christ was on the Mount
of Transfiguration and Moses and Elijah came and appeared
to Him and said they discussed or they talked about the death
He should accomplish. Death is an accomplishment. It
was for Christ and it was for us. Oh my, he accomplished salvation
for us by his death, didn't he? And these trials accomplish something. What do they accomplish? God's
purpose for us. For what? To do what? What do
they do? Humble us. Getting right back to where we
started. They humble us, don't they? Make you cry out. Make you call on the Lord, whereas
you might have gone a good while without it. And the deeper the
trial, the more you'll cry, won't you? The further down you go,
the more you'll look up, won't you? The dirtier you feel, the
more precious will be that life. Huh? The weaker you get, Paul said,
I'll gladly rejoice in infirmities, because then the power of Christ
rests on me. He said he'd be strong when I'm
weak. So the weaker we get, the stronger he becomes. That's all
right, isn't it? Sure is. Know that you're brethren,
that it's accomplished. It's accomplished in your brethren.
But, see why we have to go back. But, now, but. Knowing that the same affliction,
no temptation hath taken you such as common to all believers,
all brethren go through it. And he says, resist steadfast
in the faith, in Christ, but know this, but know this, but the God of all grace. Now resist steadfast in the faith. Take comfort from all this. humble
yourselves and so on. Cast all your care, but know
this. He's the God of all grace. He's the God of all grace. Oh
my, we don't have, we don't need to go any further than that right
there. We're saved by grace. We're kept
by grace. We're dependent on God's grace.
He has all grace. All the grace we need. And he
giveth all a person asketh for. So if you need a lot of grace,
then there's only one place to go, the God of all grace. And I like what God said to the
prophet. He said, Ask great things of
me. Go ahead. Who was it, Malachi or Micah?
I forget. Ask Isaiah. Asked me a sign, a great one,
a big one. God did. He said, ask great things
of me. I'm a great God. And I forget which one it was. I think it was Isaiah. Isaiah
said, no, no, no, no. I can't do that. He said, then
if you won't ask me, I'll do it anyway. He showed a great
sign. Ask great things. Ask great grace
of your God. You need a lot of grace? Ask
for lots of it. He delights to give. He'll give
it more. But I just got some from yesterday.
It's presumptuous of me to ask for some more. I want to get
some more. You need it? How much do you need? I tell you, I'll use my parents'
illustration here. They're so generous. God is so
generous. If I would ask them, no matter
what I'd ask them, they'd give it to me. Because if you're going
to ask for $5, why not ask for $500? Isn't that delightful? They would, you know. Oh, here,
take some more. We're going to run God's grace
dry? He'd give us more. The reason
we don't have much, we don't ask for much. Ask for great grace. He's the
God of all grace. Joseph, how do you reckon Joseph
would dole out corn to people coming to ask him? Well, his
brother, his brother, how much, how much corn did he give his
brother? They brought sacks. Remember
that? They brought a couple of tow
sacks. Boy, sure hope he fills our sack up. Went back with wagons. Went back with wagon loads. Josephson's charging storehouse. Got all grace. We got it all.
It's all in His hand. How much do you need? How much
do you need? Ask Him for a lot. All right. The God of all grace, who hath
called us. Do you believe He's called you?
I believe He's called me. I see my calling, brethren. You
see your calling, brethren? I'm not mighty. I'm not noble.
I'm not wise. You see your calling? Huh? Here
you are picking up picking on me. Because it's not the wise
and the mighty and the noble. It's the basic things. It's people
from Corn Valley. They get corn. That's all right, isn't it? Yeah it is. God has chosen the
foolish things of the world to confound the wise. God has chosen
the weak things of the world to confound things which are
base things. Things which are despised that God has chosen.
Things that are not to bring to naught things that are. Those
that have no education to bring the high and mighty
intellects down. No more than their teacher. I
might. He called you. He's called us. What's he called us to look at
in verse 10. God of all grace who has called
us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus. And I really can't say much about
that because I hadn't been there yet. No, I hadn't seen, ear hadn't
heard. Neither have entered into the
heart. Every now and then, you know, just a little spark enters
the heart. but not the fullness. Every now
and then your eyes see, the eye of faith sees just a little bit,
a little glimpse of glory in it. It blinds you for the glory
of it. Every now and then you hear things
that are not lawful uttered, but just a little bit, just a
foretaste of the glory of the divine. But somebody's eternal
glory. What does that mean? Glory is a good word. Eternal,
never-ending peace. You ever had peace? Just peace
come over you. Just feel the peace. Eternal peace. Joy. You ever been so filled
with joy? The gospel is the best. The time
you hear the gospel and you're filled with joy such as no other
time. Eternal. Never ending. I mean never a
let down. You can't even enter into that
communion. I mean you can't even begin to think about it. Eternal
joy. Unbridled. joy, happiness, life
more abundant, eternal glory. Well, eternal glory. How does
he do it? By Christ Jesus. It's all by Christ. Now, I got
these four things, my parting prayer for you and for myself,
that the God of all grace, who have called us under his eternal
glory by Christ Jesus. After you've suffered a while, and it's just for a while, it's
just for a while, while you're going through it, you think,
it's never going to end this. Somebody get a gun, just, you
know, put me out of my misery, but it ain't. This too shall pass. for a while. Let us say, after you suffered
for a while. Now, Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4, he said, our
light's affliction. Now, he said that because, compared
to the eternal weight of glory, you're not even going to remember
it. And it's like compared to what
some people go through compared to what our Lord went through.
It's like compared to what we deserve. But he said our life afflictions
which are but for a moment. How long is a moment? Well, we've
been here quite a few moments. But for a moment. Think about this. Scripture says,
Weeping endures for a night, but joy comes in the morning.
How many times have you spent a night agonizing, either in
pain yourself or worry over someone or something? Huh? At night time? Then it seems like the hours
just roll in. When's it going to end? Somehow
or another, when the sun comes up, things get better, don't
they? You ever notice that? It seems
like the fever goes away. Sickness is not so bad. Well,
it's no coincidence that there are twice as many hours in the
day as there are in the night. We've been indoors for a night.
It's just six, seven, eight hours. Maybe full of trouble, eternity of glory. It's not much, is it? When you
think about it, or a moment, just for a moment. A day is a
thousand years. A day is a thousand years. A
moment is seventy years. Right? Just a moment. Well, he
says here, may God make you, after you've suffered a while,
make you perfect. That's what James talked about,
the trial of your faith. Patience has its perfect work. Make you perfect. What does that
mean? Would you turn to this with me? Ephesians 1. I know
we know these. We can probably quote them. But
what does he mean by make you perfect? What does that mean,
make you perfect? It means just what it says. It
means just what it says. Make you perfect. God said, be
you perfect. Christ said, be you perfect.
Therefore, your Father in heaven wants you to be perfect. He didn't.
What's salvation all about? Make us perfect. Perfect half perfectly like Christ. So he's the firstborn among many
brethren and the reason God chose us to make us like Christ, not
just to save us from hell, to make us into something he can
use for his glory. Look at Ephesians 1 verses 4
and 5. According as he hath chosen us
in him Before in Christ, because of Christ, before the foundation
of the world, here's the purpose. This is why God chose us. That
we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. Whose love? Yeah, Christ's love,
but our love too. Didn't Peter just talk about,
above all things, have fervent love among yourselves? This is
how all men know you, my disciples. This is how you'll know you're
one. This is how you exhibit that
you're becoming more like Christ. You're a lovely person. You're
a loving person. Grace makes a man gracious. If he's experienced grace, it
will. Grace makes love of God and shed a broadened heart. It
ought to come out, leak out. It ought to make a man more loving
than a woman. Isn't that what it says there? That's the reason. Make you perfect. What does that mean? Just what
it says. Look over at Ephesians 2. We
can quote these, can't we? Ephesians 2, verse 8, by grace
you say. It's by grace. You're saved by
the God of all grace. Sovereign grace, saving grace,
calling grace, electing grace, keeping grace. Through faith, and that's not
of yourself, that's grace. Not of works, lest any man should
boast, for we are his workmanship. Yes, sir, buddy, I believe that.
I believe that, don't you? I like that, don't you? I like that too, because this
is just what I want. This is what God's going to have.
We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto, or this,
for this purpose, which God, unto good works, which God hath
before ordained that we should walk in them. Christ said, by
this period is your father glorified, which is very much so. He looked at his son and said,
Oh, well, please, you make me proud. Well, please. And there's
some things that God said with such sacrifices as well, please. We need a lot of work, don't
we? May the God of all grace make you perfect. Oh, my. I need a lot of work. I need a lot of grace to get
to be like Christ. You know there's no more no desire
that God. Loves to hear more than this
right here. No desire. Which God. Is more pleased to grant than
this right here. Lord. Make me like Christ. OK. OK. Let me love like Christ did.
Okay, I'm pleased with that. Let me give like Christ did.
Okay, I'm pleased with that. I love a cheerful giver. Make
me not think of myself, but think of others like Christ. Okay,
that's my boy. Is that what you want your children
to be like? Well, may the God of all grace make you perfect. Make you perfect. Oh, we're perfect.
Judicially, in Christ, yes sir. And you don't separate these
things, do you? You don't separate the two. Justification
and sanctification. The man's been justified, he's
being sanctified. A man that has imputed righteousness
charged to his account, buddy, he has the character of Christ
in him. Any man hath not the spirit of
Christ, none of thee. May the God of all grace make
thee perfect. Establish you. Establish. Establish. Establish. That means, establish means set
fast. That's what establish means.
Like a post set in concrete. I've got some fence posts around
my place, Henry, that I've just dug with a post hole digger and
tamped them. I thought they were pretty tight.
But then, Steve, I've got some set in concrete. Those ones I
hand tamped. They're moving around. But the
ones in concrete, they're not going anywhere. Establish. And I want Him to set me in concrete. Don't you? In a rock. That's what I mean. In a rock. Concrete promises of God's Word. David says, Establish thy Word
unto thy servant. That's what will establish you.
The only thing that will establish you. All these winds of doctrine,
the headlines in the newspaper, and every opinion there on this
and that and the other, the radio, TV, and all that, will just make
you, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh,
ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh,
ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh,
ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh,
ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh,
ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh,
ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, You ever run into
somebody that's up in years and you can't absolutely, if they've
got their mindset and going in a certain direction or whatever,
you're not going to turn them, I don't care what you do. You
ever run into anybody like that, Roberta? Or you have, haven't
you? That turned resolutely, they've
got their mindset in one direction, they're going to go this way.
Most husbands are like that when they're driving a car, you see,
wherever they're going. And why do you with this aren't
we going wrong no no. That's what this means set back
to turn with God what I want for you and for me is to God
to set our face like Christ had his face set steadfastly toward
Jerusalem. I want him to set our eyes on
Christ and not turn to the right to the left. Set, turn us and
we'll be turned. Set, turn us resolutely in the
right direction. And let nothing and no one put
your ear, your fingers, your ears, holler, Christ, Christ.
Give me Christ. And look right on. That's what's
established me. There's a lot there. Establish. Next word. Establish. May God
strengthen you. The God of all grace strengthen
you. Make you strong. Strong in the Lord and the power
of His might. Strong in faith. Paul said, quit you like men.
I want to be a child in malice,
Paul said, or that is, a child in character, not having malice
or guile. But I want to be a man in understanding. Quit you like me. So often Paul
and Peter say, cut off the old man, put on the new. What he's
saying there is quit acting like a baby. Quit acting like the
old man. Act like Christ. Oh, I want that.
Don't you? Strengthen me in the faith. Make me strong in the face of
trials. for your glory. Make me strong
before an unbelieving world. I thought about this. I'm tired
of being like a ninety-seven pound weakling, spiritual weakling,
having this world keep standing in my face. Does anybody know
what I'm talking about? Peter would. But a little maiden had him running
scared. Like a 97-pound spiritual weakening,
the world kicks sand in your face. Lord, put them in me strong. The power of your mind. Take
the soaring spirit. The helmet of salvation. The breastplate of righteousness. Nothing to penetrate it. Nothing
to bother me. That's the next thing. Settle
you. May the Lord strengthen you. May the Lord settle you.
Now God said it, and that said it. Why are we settled? May He settle us, may He settle
our hearts, may He settle our mind, may He settle our souls,
so that nothing can unsettle us. Nothing. What are you going through
right now? There's some people going through
some tough trials. Let me ask you, is it tougher
than what Job went through? And let me tell you what Job
said then, when they came to him and said, everybody in your
family is dead. Everything you own in this world
is gone. Job was settled. The root of
the matter was in him. Faith in God. Earlier he said,
though he slayed me, I'll trust him. But Job said, when he heard
all this bad news, he said, And it was settled in his mind. He
said, It's the Lord. Let him do what seemeth good
in his eyes. I want him to settle me, don't
you, John? Oh, settle me like that. No matter what comes. Let me say that. It's settled
in my mind and heart. What have we gone through, really,
in comparison to Job? What have we gone through now? Job was just a man. Where did
Job's strength come from? The God of all grace. The God of all grace. Oh, it's
the Lord. It's the Lord. It's the Lord. Well, may the God of all grace,
and this is the end, may the God of all grace who called us
unto eternal glory, it's going to be glorious. You just wait
and see. It's all by Christ Jesus, because
of him, through him, in him. After you've suffered a while,
it's just a while, it's just a moment, just a moment, a moment,
a twinkling of an eye will be changed. The old things pass
away and you won't even remember. They won't even come to mind.
It won't even be a bad dream. Make you perfect. Make you like
Christ. establish, strengthen, and settle
you. To Him, it's all to His glory. It's all going to be for
His glory, and we're going to glorify Him in the end. To Him
be glory and dominion forever and ever. I hope you can say
amen to all that. Amen. All right. You're dismissed.

A Parting Prayer for the brethren

What does the Bible say about humility?

How do we know grace is sufficient for us?

Why is dependence on God important for Christians?

What does it mean to be called to eternal glory?

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A Parting Prayer for the brethren

What does the Bible say about humility?

How do we know grace is sufficient for us?

Why is dependence on God important for Christians?

What does it mean to be called to eternal glory?

Sermon Transcript

About Paul Mahan

Comments

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