Be Brave & Be Strong - Part 2

1 Corinthians 16:13–14 NKJV

13 Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done with love.

pray

Confession of Faith

I am not moved by what I see or by what I feel. I am moved by what I believe. I believe the WORD of God! The victory is mine! I have it now! I can see it through the eyes of my faith! In Jesus Name

Introduction:

Last week - we talked about five areas that Apostle Paul exhorted believers to operate in to live in the space of Bravery and Strength!

1. Watch

2. Stand Fast In The Faith

3. Be Brave

4. Be Strong

5. Do all things in Love

With everything that’s going on to day - we must stay strong in Faith!

WE NEED BELIEVERS WHO ARE STRONG IN FAITH

Let’s look at Abraham - this was a man strong in faith!

Genesis 12:1–3 NLT

1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”

The Call

This was the call of God to Abram, the call to live a life of separation.

God called Abram to the most difficult task any person can ever face:

that of changing his or her life,

This is the call to completely turn around and forsake everything in this world you love!

This is the call to completely turn away from everything you find important and finds dear.

God called Abram to leave and forever separate himself from...

his country.

his relatives.

his father's house,

the family's possessions and property.

the love,

the care,

the support,

the security,

and the approval of the people he knew, respected and admired.

Why?

Why would God call Abram to give up the very things that mean so much to a him?

I believe when the people and things of the world are more important to us than God, that’s when God reveals!

Abram was putting his world and family before God,

Abram was putting their love, security, possessions and approval before God.

Many of us are Abrams today...

I want you to see something … God appeared to Abram twice - the first time he was with his father

Genesis 11:31–32 NCV

31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (Haran’s son), and his daughter-in-law Sarai (Abram’s wife) and moved out of Ur of Babylonia. They had planned to go to the land of Canaan, but when they reached the city of Haran, they settled there. 32 Terah lived to be 205 years old, and then he died in Haran.

Be careful where you settle!!!!

God had to remind Abram of his first call to him

Genesis 15:7 NCV

7 God said to Abram, “I am the Lord who led you out of Ur of Babylonia so that I could give you this land to own.”

You see Abram did not go all the way with God, not when God first called him. Abram started out following the promises of God when he left Ur to begin his journey, but he stopped in Haran, far short of where God told him to go to receive his blessing

The bible doesn’t tell us specifically what was Abram's reason for stopping in short of where God told him to go

Based on what he told Abram to separate from - I think those were the very distractions that caused Abram to ignore the promises God had for him!

Strong In Faith

The life of separation or separation from the world

This is not a heartless demand of God.

It's simply the demand that we separate from the ungodly,

that we separate from immoral

That we separate lustful ways of this world.

This world is wicked in the sight of God and should be to us.

Romans 12:2 NKJV

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Ephesians 5:11 NCV

11 Have nothing to do with the things done in darkness, which are not worth anything. But show that they are wrong.

James 4:4 NLT

4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.

Again, let me say this

The life of separation—separation is not a heartless demand of God.

We can miss our blessings following after worldly influence and greed Worldliness and greed will destroy us.

So , when God calls us to turn away from the worldliness and greed it’s not that he doesn’t have a heart

⇒ It is simply the demand that we focus our minds and hearts first of all on God.

Matthew 22:37–38 NKJV

37 Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment.

The life of separation demands that we put God first in our lives, before family members, even before father or mother. Mat 10:37

Matthew 10:37 NKJV

37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

The life of separation demands that we seek God first, seek Him even before food, shelter, and clothing.

Matthew 6:33 NKJV

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

The life of separation demands that we focus our attention and affections are on things above, lasting things, not on things of the earth, things that are temporary.

Colossians 3:2 NKJV

2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

The life of separation demands that we don’t trust in the uncertainty of riches, but in the living God.

1 Timothy 6:17 The Message

17 Tell those rich in this world’s wealth to quit being so full of themselves and so obsessed with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow. Tell them to go after God, who piles on all the riches we could ever manage—

Strong In Faith

Our faith is tested when God challenges us to separated from the things that are familiar, comfortable, ungodly, sinful , wordly and put our focus on him and him alone for our blessings

Be Brave and Be Strong