Some Places Where We Can Still Find Help
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
I was going to go back into our study of the book of Ruth tonight, but I just couldn’t get away from another thought for tonight.
We preached all day Sunday out of Psalm 121 on the thought of “Divine Help”...
We see the Psalmist writes that:
My help cometh from the Lord,
Which made heaven and earth.
We know that is the source of our strength and help tonight, but I want to preach for a little while tonight on “Some Places Where We Can Still Find Help.”
I’m gonna go ahead and tell you that you aren’t going to find any help in this old world, but there are some places we find in the Bible where you can still find help...
Under the preached Word of God
Under the preached Word of God
I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
This right here is a charge set forth by Paul to Timothy…A charge is a military command, it’s an order, not an option!
“Preach the Word!” is the main responsibility here. Everything else he said is related to this.
Timothy was to herald God’s Word with the authority of heaven behind him.
The word “preach” means “to preach like a herald.” In Paul’s day, a ruler had a special herald who made announcements to the people. He was commissioned by the ruler to make his announcements in a loud, clear voice so everyone could hear. He was not an ambassador with the privilege of negotiating; he was a messenger with a proclamation to be heard and heeded.
The Word of God is what both sinners and saints need.
I want you to know tonight that:
Good old-fashioned preaching will:
Good old-fashioned preaching will:
Convert you to salvation
Convert you to salvation
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
Call you to service
Call you to service
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
Convict you of sin
Convict you of sin
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
The Word of God will cut you, but it cuts to heal!
Another place where we can still find help is:
In the perfect will of God
In the perfect will of God
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Here in these verses, Paul writes under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost that the holy life revolves around worshiping God through the sacrifice of our body and through developing the mind of Christ in us.
Paul moves on here to write that when we doing these two things, it enables us to carry out God’s will for our lives in a way that honors Him!
There is peace in His will
There is peace in His will
I think of Paul over in Acts 27 on that ship headed to Rome. He was a prisoner at the beginning, but he ended up being the captain!
Remember, and we have seen this all over the place this year…A crisis doesn’t make a person; a crisis shows what a person is made of...
They got caught in a horrible storm there, but Paul had peace the entire time, he was in the will of God, and he had faith that God would see him through!
These guys were in major trouble!
And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away. But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
If they had’ve listened to the man of God, they wouldn’t have been in this situation, but notice Paul, being in the will of God has peace…He says, “for I believe God...”
There are promises and power in His will
There are promises and power in His will
Because he was in the will of God, the Apostle Paul was a thermostat. Instead of having spiritual ups and downs as the situation changed, he went right on, steadily doing his work and serving Christ. His personal references at the close of Philippians indicate that he was not the victim of circumstances but the victor over circumstances:
“I can accept all things”
Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
“I can do all things”
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
“I have all things”
Paul did not have to be pampered to be content; he found his contentment in the spiritual resources abundantly provided by Christ.
But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.
You can still get help under the preaching of the Word of God, in the perfect will of God, and also...
In the personal work of God
In the personal work of God
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
We have some encouragement here!
Compassionate ministry can make you weary. Contending for the gospel can make you exhausted. Every Christian can become discouraged in doing good deeds. So Paul says, Keep sowing. Continue loving one another. Keep resisting bickering with others. Keep rejecting false teachers. Keep bearing one another's burdens. Keep preaching the gospel. Keep doing good, and watch God work. There is a harvest out there! We reap what we sow, even though it may take years before we see fruit, but it is worth it.
Notice verse 10!
Believers should be marked by practical goodness.
Notice the universal and particular challenge. Universally, we must love our neighbor as ourselves. We should be sensitive to the poor in our community. We look for ways to show mercy to "all," to those around the world who have urgent physical needs.
This is how we let our light shine and glorify our Father in heaven!
Particularly, Paul says that we pay careful attention to those in "the household of faith." Look for opportunities to "work for the good" everywhere among the fellowship. Love your neighbor sensitively. But pay special attention to ways you can do good to those within the church.
This does not mean that the local church should become an exclusive clique with the members isolated from the world around them and doing nothing to help the lost. Rather, it is a matter of balance.
God will help us when we get involved in what He’s doing!
It helps us to help others! There’s nothing quite like seeing someone else get blessed!
It humbles us to help others! It reminds us where we were!
It honors us to help others! To think that God would even use us is beyond imagination! What an honor it is for us to help others!
Conclusion
Conclusion
Our help comes from the Lord! That’s the only place…I’m glad there are some places where we can still find help…Don’t forsake them.
Get under the preaching of the Word of God...
Get in the perfect will of God...
And...
Get in the personal work of God...
You’ll find help in these places!