Still Holding On
Intro: Flying at 4000 feet, the flight seemed normal. The take off in Portland, Maine had been very smooth. Flying at 200 mph. the flight to Boston would be over shortly. The pilot, Henry Dempsey was at the controls when he heard an unusual noise in the rear of the small commuter plane. He handed the controls over to the co-pilot and went to the rear to check it out. As he reached the tail-section, the plane hit an air pocket and Henry was thrown against the un-latched door; immediately Henry was sucked out of the airplane. The co-pilot seeing the red warning light, indicating an open door, requested an emergency landing at the closest airport.
The co-pilot knowing the results of being sucked out of an open door ask Air Rescue to search the ocean area over which they were flying for signs of Henry’s body.
After the emergency landing, they found Henry; somehow still holding on to the ladder on the door. Sometimes things in like get rocky and it’s hard to hold on; but consider the alternative!
Sometimes in life we have some thing we have to Hold on to
1. Your Faith
2. Your Integrity
3. Your Blessing
I‘m going to hold on to God til He Blesses Me
a. in the next world
b. in this world
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Text: Gen.32:22-29
22 During the night Jacob rose and crossed the Jabbok River at the crossing, taking with him his two wives, his two slave girls, and his eleven sons. 23 He sent his family and everything he had across the river. 24 So Jacob was alone, and a man came and wrestled with him until the sun came up. 25 When the man saw he could not defeat Jacob, he struck Jacob’s hip and put it out of joint. 26 Then he said to Jacob, "Let me go. The sun is coming up."
But Jacob said, "I will let you go if you will bless me."
27 The man said to him, "What is your name?"
And he answered, "Jacob."
28 Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob. Your name will now be Israel, because you have wrestled with God and with people, and you have won."
29 Then Jacob asked him, "Please tell me your name."
But the man said, "Why do you ask my name?" Then he blessed Jacob there.
A. I’m Going to Hold On Til GOD Blesses Me
1. Jacob
2. Woman with Issue of Blood Matt 9:20-22
20 Then a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years came behind Jesus and touched the edge of his coat. 21 She was thinking, "If I can just touch his clothes, I will be healed."
22 Jesus turned and saw the woman and said, "Be encouraged, dear woman. You are made well because you believed." And the woman was healed from that moment on.
3. Cripple Woman Luke 13:10-17
10 Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath day. 11 A woman was there who, for eighteen years, had an evil spirit in her that made her crippled. Her back was always bent; she could not stand up straight. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, "Woman, you are free from your sickness." 13 Jesus put his hands on her, and immediately she was able to stand up straight and began praising God.
4. Bartimaeus Luke 18:35-43
35 As Jesus came near the city of Jericho, a blind man was sitting beside the road, begging. 36 When he heard the people coming down the road, he asked, "What is happening?"
37 They told him, "Jesus, from Nazareth, is going by."
38 The blind man cried out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
39 The people leading the group warned the blind man to be quiet. But the blind man shouted even more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"
40 Jesus stopped and ordered the blind man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41 "What do you want me to do for you?"
He said, "Lord, I want to see."
42 Jesus said to him, "Then see. You are healed because you believed."
43 At once the man was able to see, and he followed Jesus, thanking God. All the people who saw this praised God.
5. Shunammite Woman 2 Kings 4:18-37
18 The boy grew up and one day went out to his father, who was with the grain harvesters. 19 The boy said to his father, "My head! My head!"
The father said to his servant, "Take him to his mother!" 20 The servant took him to his mother, and he lay on his mother’s lap until noon. Then he died. 21 So she took him up and laid him on Elisha’s bed. Then she shut the door and left.
22 She called to her husband, "Send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys. Then I can go quickly to the man of God and return."
23 The husband said, "Why do you want to go to him today? It isn’t the New Moon or the Sabbath day."
She said, "It will be all right."
24 Then she saddled the donkey and said to her servant, "Lead on. Don’t slow down for me unless I tell you." 25 So she went to Elisha, the man of God, at Mount Carmel.
When he saw her coming from far away, he said to his servant Gehazi, "Look, there’s the Shunammite woman! 26 Run to meet her and ask, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is the boy all right?’ "
She answered, "Everything is all right."
27 Then she came to Elisha at the hill and grabbed his feet. Gehazi came near to pull her away, but Elisha said to him, "Leave her alone. She’s very upset, and the LORD has not told me about it. He has hidden it from me."
28 She said, "Master, did I ask you for a son? Didn’t I tell you not to lie to me?"
29 Then Elisha said to Gehazi, "Get ready. Take my walking stick in your hand and go quickly. If you meet anyone, don’t say hello. If anyone greets you, don’t respond. Lay my walking stick on the boy’s face."
30 The boy’s mother said, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I won’t leave you!" So Elisha got up and followed her.
31 Gehazi went on ahead and laid the walking stick on the boy’s face, but the boy did not talk or move. Then Gehazi went back to meet Elisha. "The boy has not awakened," he said.
32 When Elisha came into the house, the boy was lying dead on his bed. 33 Elisha entered the room and shut the door, so only he and the boy were in the room. Then he prayed to the LORD. 34 He went to the bed and lay on the boy, putting his mouth on the boy’s mouth, his eyes on the boy’s eyes, and his hands on the boy’s hands. He stretched himself out on top of the boy. Soon the boy’s skin became warm. 35 Elisha turned away and walked around the room. Then he went back and put himself on the boy again. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.
36 Elisha called Gehazi and said, "Call the Shunammite!" So he did. When she came, Elisha said, "Pick up your son." 37 She came in and fell at Elisha’s feet, bowing facedown to the floor. Then she picked up her son and went out.
B. The blessings of God are Mine And I’m Holding on til I Get Them
