Things are Subject to Change part 5
We’re going to continue our teaching on “God turning your situation around.” We all go through many different tests and trials in our life, and we face different storms, but God cares about us, and He wants to turn our negative situation around.
I) Last time we were ministering on our ATTITUDE and how our attitude can make us or break us. It can be the thing that will put us over or cause us to be defeated.
A) Paul said in (Philippians 1:18), “I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.” KJV
1) When Paul wrote this he was in prison. That’s a negative situation that he faced, but he said, “I rejoice and will rejoice.”
(a) The very next V from the Ben Campbell Johnson translation says, “I will keep on celebrating because I know this ATTITUDE will bring my deliverance.” (V 19)
(b) What ATTITUDE is he talking about?
(i) An ATTITUDE OF JOY.
(ii) In (Philippians 4:4) Paul says, “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.” KJV
(c) Notice that Paul says that we are to rejoice always, not just when things are going well.
(i) You have to keep joy in your heart even when things look there worst.
(ii) How can we have JOY when we’re going through some negative things?
(iii) Because we know that God will deliver us from those problem areas.
2) Something that goes hand in hand with JOY is THANKSGIVING.
(a) We need to have an ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE.
(i) Sometimes people say that they will rejoice and be thankful when the answer comes, after the victory has been won, but that’s backwards.
(ii) We need to RELEASE OUR JOY, offer up the SACRIFICE OF JOY, and put on THE ATTITUDE OF THANKSGIVING while we are waiting for the answer.
(iii) In fact, JOY, THANKSGIVING, and PRAISE are the greatest expression of FAITH known to man.
(b) If you’re really believing God to turn your situation around, then you have the assurance that God will come through.
3) Turn with me to 1JOHN 5:14-15
(a) John says, “This is the confidence that should have, If we ask God for anything that is in line with His Word he hears us, and if He hears us we also know that WE HAVE THE ANSWER.”
(b) This is really what faith is.
(i) It’s a knowing. KNOWING WHAT?
(ii) ? That God will come through?
(iii) Yes, but it goes 1 step further.
(c) The last thing that John said in (V 15) is that “WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE.” HAVE WHAT? THE ANSWER.
4) Faith in your heart knows that it is already yours before you even see it.
(a) You don’t have to worry about what will happen. If you have faith in God, you already know what will happen.
B) If you already know what will happen, if you already know that the answer is yours, IT’S TIME TO REJOICE, it’s time to be putting on the GARMENT OF PRAISE, it’s time to be THANKING THE LORD before you even see it.
II) Turn with me to PSA 116:17
A) When is the giving of thanks to the Lord a sacrifice?
1) When you don’t feel like giving thanks.
(a) There are many things that can STEAL our JOY and ROB us of the ATTITUDE OF THANKFULNESS.
(b) This can cause us to have a negative attitude.
(i) All of us have to guard against negativism.
B) It doesn’t matter if it’s a big thing were going through or something small like losing a button.
1) Satan will try to come in and push us to our limits. Getting us to lose our Joy.
(a) Once he finds an area that causes you to lose your joy and get you into negativism, he’ll keep attacking in that area.
C) Why is it so important for Satan to STEAL our JOY?
1) If he can steal our joy he can defeat us.
2) (Nehemiah 8:10) Says, “The joy of the LORD is your strength.” KJV
(a) If Satan can STEAL our JOY then we have NO STRENGTH.
(b) Turn with me to JAMES 4:7
3) The joy of the Lord is our strength. If Satan can STEAL our JOY we LOSE our STRENGTH. If we DON’T HAVE any STRENGTH, we CAN’T RESIST the Devil. If we CAN’T RESIST the Devil, HE WON’T FLEE from us, and if he DOESN’T FLEE from us, we WON’T WIN. Were DEFEATED and Satan will walk all over us.
III) Satan wants to steal your joy. He wants to steal your attitude of gratitude. He wants to steal your EARNEST EXPECTATION of the promises of God.
A) He wants you to wake up in the morning MURMURING and COMPLAINING, He wants you to say to yourself, “This is going to be a lousy day; I can already tell it.”
1) There was a cartoon character that was out several years ago, and every time something bad happened to him he would say, “I just knew this was going to happen.”
2) But the Christian should wake up in the morning with the scripture on their lips saying, “This is the day that the Lord has made I will rejoice and be glad in it.”
(a) We should wake up with the attitude that something Good is going to happen. Expect it.
B) Now, how can you keep this attitude of JOY and EXPECTANCY?
1) Psa 34:19
(a) The NIV says, (Psalm 34:19) “A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all.” NIV
(i) This is a promise that we have from God. He said that He would deliver us from ALL OF OUR TROUBLES and NEGATIVE SITUATIONS.
2) Now that we have this promise, what should we do right now?
(a) Exactly what it says to do in (HEB 12:2) “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.”
(b) Keep on looking to Jesus and not to the problem and God will bring the victory.
3) Life is good. It’s enjoyable. It’s fun to be a Christian. It’s exciting to be a Christian.
(a) Why is it so exciting to live for the Lord?
(b) The world doesn’t know what tomorrow will bring. But for the Christian, we know that we have God on our side, and VICTORY IS A HAND. God will come through.
WOLCC Sunday 4/27/97