YOU ARE NOT ALONE

Good Morning, I was blessed to be able to speak to our youth last night in their final night of their back to school bash weekend. They have worshipped they have been in the word, and they have had alot of fun together.

This year my wife Amy is going to be serving on the youth committee, I am very glad she has this opportunity and I know she will do a good job. I can tell you it was a little bit backwards though being at home while ministry was going on right next door.

I watched our children so that Amy could be over here and serve, and it was hard because I am used to being the one serving while she is watching the children so i’ll have to get used to the switch.

I wanted to share a funny story that happened to me this weekend while keeping the kids. Noah is two years old, he is needy there was moments where I had to play the box one handed while holding him with the other over the weekend.

But the funny part was in the morning when Noah came into my room, I had woke up before the kids so I hurried to hop in the shower before they woke up wanting breakfast.

As I was in the shower I heard someone come into the room, it was Noah. He came in and immediately I heard him begin to scream, I thought to myself oh no Noah has hurt himself I gotta hurry and get out of here.

All of the doors were opened and he stood there at the bed screaming DADDY WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME!!! I thought poor guy… So I hollered out Noah Daddy is in the shower Ill be out in a minute buddy!

The screaming continued. DADDY WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME!!! NOAH I AM RIGHT HERE BUD ILL BE OUT IN A SECOND.

MORE SCREAMING DADDY!!

I turned the shower off and opened the door to the shower Noah is standing right outside the shower door facing the room not looking in my direction. ‘

He was looking at the bed where he normally finds me on the weekend. I called out to him he was only 5 steps away, NOAH YOU ARE NOT ALONE I AM RIGHT HERE TURN AROUND!

He turned around and became calm.

You see Noah’s perspective was wrong, he thought I was gone because I wasn’t where he normally found me, but I was right behind him the whole time.

I dont know if it was sleepiness or just fear but he was certain that I was gone and he was alone. You know the Christian life can be this way too. We find ourselves searching for God and because our perspective is wrong we think He is not there, or that we are all alone. When our Heavenly Father is right there the whole time.

Which is why I want to label the message YOU ARE NOT ALONE. In the book of Ephesians Paul describes the Christian life in three postures. SEATED, WALKING, AND STANDING.

the first half of this letter Paul describes the Christian as seated with Christ in Heavenly places, far above principalities and powers.

Then when you get to the middle of the letter Paul shifts the posture from being seated with Jesus, to walking in Christ in our day to lives.

Now as he finished this letter he closes with one more posture we are supposed to understand, were not just seated with Jesus and walking in Christ but we are also to stand for Christ against the schemes of the devil. After this talk about spiritual warfare Paul is gonna give us his final thoughts.

If your not careful you will miss what God is trying to teach you through this passage.

If I had to sum up what Paul is saying here in one sentance it would be this. YOUR NOT ALONE, or if I can say it another way, YOU ARE NEVER IN IT BY YOURSELF.

The Christian life is tough and there are certain people God will send into your life to help you become the person He created you to be. On the other hand the Lord gives you what you need to fight the battle.

God Sends Special People to Help You Fight the Battle.

contains the onyl reference to a person in the entire letter to the Ephesian church. that is strange because Paul ministered in Ephesus longer than any other church he planted.

However the reason for this is because this was what was called a circular letter. It was a letter that was sent to the church in Ephesus but was meant to be sent around to surrounding churches.

Here Paul mentions the only man worthy to be mentioned here as Tychicus. he was the man who was tasked with delivering this letter to the church.

In verse 21 he tells us who Tychicus is and in verse 22 he tells us why he sent him.

One scholar wrote that there is nothing relevant for us in verses 21-22, he says the the text only becomes meaningful to us when we get to verses 23-24 but I beg to differ with his opinion.

The importance of these verses might not be as obvious as in 23-24 but underneath the surface of what will be his last words to the church, there is a final lesson about the communion of the saints.

The communion of the saints means that no Christian was designed by God to make the journey by yourself.

I go to the gym most mornings with Allen and Josh and Scottie. Allen is a freak of nature yall, joker just sits the weight of a mack truck up there on the bar and just grabs it and goes.

Being a competitor I am like shoot I can lift that too, and we push each other. But one particular morning he gets under the weight and I told him right up front I AINT DOING THAT, He said just try it. I think you can do it, I said naw man I aint getting under that wieght and hurting my shoulder, he said come one man

ILL SPOT YOU,.... WHILE YOU UNDER THE WEIGHT IM GONNA STAND RIGHT THERE UNDER IT WITH YOU. I AINT GONE LIFT IT BUT IM GONNA BE THERE IF SOMETHING HAPPENS.

I got down there on that bench, and started lifting… my fear subsided cayse Allen was standing over me. he didnt have to touch it he just had to stand there and say you got this man, go on ahead and push it you got it.

When I got done with that set he said hold on let me put some more weight on there… i ended up pushing that day more than he pushed.

I didn’t realize what I was capable of, and I never would have known if it hadn’t been for someone who CAME ALONG SIDE.. and help me carry the burden.

YALL AINT IN HERE WITH ME YALL GOING THROUGH THINGS AND DONT EVEN KNOW HOW STRONG YOUR FAITH IS AND YOULL NEVER KNOW HOW STRONG YOU ARE UNTIL YOU TRUST ANOTHER BELIEVER TO COME ALOING SIDE AND HELP YOU CARRY THE BURDEN.

WHEN YOU CANT DO IT BY YOURSELF.

IF YOU IN THE LORD YOU AINT IN IT BY YOURSELF!!

YOUR NOT ALONE!

(people leaving church)

Like somehow without the Bible and other believers holding them accountable they are gonna have more happiness…this just proves that you need to be in church!!!

YOU CANT BE MORE GODLY ALONE, AND YOU CANT BE OBEDIENT TO CHRIST ALONE THERE IS A FAMILY NEAR TO THE HEART OF GOD FRIEND YOU NEED THE CHURCH!

I keep forgetting to tell you your not in it alone, your not in this life by yourself! Contrary to what the culture will tell you! YOU ARE NOT ON AN ISLAND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FAMILY OF GOD WHO WANTS TO HELP YOU!

(Mrs. Wilson)

(Abe Kinsey)

(Ryan Pate)

(Mike Posey)

(Josh Carter)

(Eddie Cotter)

(Dale Nichols)

(Dave Coleman)

(Scottie Bedsole)

(Cory Solomon)

All of these people and more helped me through some of the most difficult times spiritually in my life.

Whatever your going through, you are not in it by yourself. God will send special people to help you during the battle.

THE LORD GIVES SPIRITUAL RESOURCES TO HELP YOU FIGHT THE BATTLE

Paul ends here with a blessing upon the people of God. The announcement is so that when you leave here you aint leaving God in here hes going with you!

Paul says I want you to know that when you leave here you aint leaving here empty handed your leaving here with a double blessing. PEACE AND GRACE

Paul says I want you to know that when you leave here you aint leaving here empty handed your leaving here with a double blessing. PEACE AND GRACE

YOU NEED THE PEACE OF THE LORD

Verse 21 says peace be the brothers

The word peace here is more than just the absence of chaos and animosity, its positive.

If there is one thing that marks a life that is lived with other Christians, and walking in the will of almighty God is the peace which passes all undertanding.

Im telling you life can be falling down around you people can be mistreating you and doing ya wrong but if you are in Jesus and in step with the Lord there is a peace that can overwhelm you, and even when it hurts this peace with take over and give you an assurance that God is with you.

There are little things I have gone through and had no peace because I was trying to do life on my own and then there were huge things that I rested in the peace of God like a baby.

Notice this passage says that this peace is FOR THE BROTHERS

Ephesians 6:23 ESV

Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Listen to me the peace of God is not available to all who are not in the family.

The peace is given to the children of God!

A person who is walking at a guilty distance from the Lord only giving him minor head nods and never taking Jesus seriously, will have a heart that is in turmoil constantly.

That is because there life is being built on something other than Jesus and His word.

ON CHRIST THE SOLID ROCK I STAND ALL OTHER GROUND IS SINKING SAND, ALL OTHER GROUND IS SINKING SAND.

There is a firm foundation There is a solid rock to build your life upon and His name is Jesus Christ! HE WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU!!!

HE WONT WALK AWAY WHEN YOU MESS UP AND HE WONT TURN HIS BACK WHEN YOU TAKE CREDIT FOR WHAT HE AND HE ALONE HAS DONE.

He will always be right there with open arms to receive you back again.

“It is well”- wrote where his daughters drowned...

AS HE LOOKED DOWN AT THE WATERY DEPTHS WHERE HIS LITTLE GIRLS PERISHED

“WHEN PEACE LIKE A RIVER ATTENDETH MY WAY, WHEN SORROWS LIKE SEA BILLOWS ROLL, WHATEVER MY LOT GOD HATH TAUGHT ME TO SAY IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL”

THOUGH SATAN SHOULD BUFFET THOUGH TRIALS SHOULD COME LET THIS BLESSED ASSURANCE CONTROL THE LORD HAS LOOKED DOWN AND REGARDED MY HELPLESS ESTATE AND HAS SHED HIS OWN BLOOD FOR MY SOUL!

I’m telling you friend the next time you feel alone remember Jesus Christ died to live within you, not to learned about by you… repeat

So Paul throughout the book of Ephesians talks about peace with God, Peace with others, and peace within. I think what Paul is saying here is as you leave leave with the assurance that God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will give you peace within wherever you go. The Lord doesnt have to end the storm to prove that He’s with you.

He can let the storm rage, and give you peace in the midst of the storm.

Philippians 4:6–7 ESV

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians

He says peace be to the brothers and love with faith.

I believe the two are connected, I believe that true peace comes when you have the faith to believe that God loves you. I dont care what they doing to ya, I dont care what they saying bout ya, You can sleep good at night with peace of you trust that HE LOVES ME, SINFUL ME, WEAK ME, STUBBORN ME, BUT HE STILL LOVES ME.

I dont have to recount my circumstances to prove that He loves me, I just gotta run to the cross and see the outstretched hands of JEsus nailed at the cross to pay for my sins to know HE LOVES ME!

He says you aint in it by yourself because as you move forward peace is with you. Wherever you find yourself, wherever the battle is, wherever the challenge is, He is able to give you peace down on the inside.

But He says theres something else God wants you go forward with.

While peace will be in you, GRACE WILL BE WITH YOU. Just think about that when you get up to go to work in the morning. you aint getting in the car by yourself Grace is with you, you aint gotta through the day alone grace is with you. You dont have to fight the battle alone GRACE yall are being quiet yall must not know what grace is.

Grace is unmerited favor, unconditional kindness, unconditional love. Its god knows Im not worthy but He gives it to me anyway, not because Im good but because He is good.

I was looking for work, I got a call from a friend named Melanie she said hey theres a group of us that work the FSU football games, as security you can make 10 dollars an hour. At that time I didnt know I was working for my future father in law, though that would come years later. But I remember meeting bobby bowden, I was carried down a passage way that no body else could enter, as the sherrif lead me all the way, I went down into the tunnel where the players were yelling and getting pumped up for the game.

I ended up down on field level, I even went out to the center of the field with the ABC cameras and the players met for the coin toss, the ultimate joke is this a 5’8’ 22 year old walking into the center of the field as security when ever player on the field was 6’3 285 punds and up.

but the point is I found myself in a place where I could have never gotten on my own all because of who I was with.

Do you know what you call that theologically you call that grace there are doors that have been opened to you not because of who you are, not because of what youve done, not because of how well youve been, its be because GRACE!!!

Grace opened the door you never could have opened, grace got you the job you didnt qualify for, grace has been keeping a roof over your head, and food on your table.

It says grace be with ALL OF YOU WHO LOVE OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. WITH INCORRUPTIBLE LOVE.

Do you notice how he describes these brothers?

They are those who loves the Lord Jesus Christ.

Being saved doesnt mean beleiving in Jesus, obeying JEsus or even serving Jesus its about loving Him.

Loving Him with incorruptible love, if you really love Him your love wont stop when He fails to do what you want Him to do. You will love him on the good days and the bad days, youll love him when you up and when your down. Youll love Him with the sun is shining and when the rain comes. Its when you learn to love JEsus is when you can go day by day with the assurance that you are not alone.

Romans 8:28 NKJV

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

If you love Him you can go to sleep at night you can face whatever tomorrow is going to bring, with this in your heart I GOTTA FEELING THAT EVERYTHING IS GONNA BE ALRIGHT!

(Peter and Judas)