Let us pray
Welcome............
How many of you here today are getting tired of living the Christian life; you
are even thinking about throwing in the towel, and going back to your former
lifestyle? Sometimes you feel discouraged, and you think maybe it’s best to
quit; if that’s happening to you, please don’t quit, but stay with the Lord.
On last Sunday evening I was seeking the Lord for something encouraging
for the saints today, on this last Sunday of the year 2003. I came across our
text, Romans 8: 35 through 39, and the thought, Stay With The Lord. There
are many Christians for some reason or the other, are leaving the church or
the ministry to do other things, but I want to en-courage you today, to stay
with the Lord. There are those who are running here and running there,
hoping to find something new, being swayed by every-thing they hear, but I
want to encourage you to stay with the Lord. There are those who are finding
out ways to make a name for themselves, but I want to encourage you to
stay with the Lord. If you stay with the Lord, I am sure everything is going to
be all right.
Please turn with me to page 9 of your bulletins or in your bibles to Romans 8
verses 35 through 39. Let’s all stand and read together. Please tell at least 5
persons Don’t Give Up On the Lord.
On this last Sunday of the year 2003, I just want to encourage you today to
stay with the Lord. There are people out there who like to major on the
negative, they find fault with everything and every-body, but I want to encourage you to stay with the Lord. Do not stick around negative folks, no
matter how nice they are, love them, but don’t stick around them, because
they will pull you down. There is a saying which says, birds of a feather flock together. Negative folks should stay with other negative folks. Find
some folks who think positive, folks that can find some good in every bad situation. Folks that will be able to say with the assurance, I can do all things
through Christ which strengtheneth me. Find some Christian folks who can help you to grow spiritually, and not tear you down. Andrew Carnegie said these words, I owe whatever success I have attained, by and large, to my ability to surround myself with people who are smarter than I am.
Have you ever wondered what kind of a pressure the apostle Paul must have gone through after he turned his life over to the Lord? The saints could not
accept him because they know the kind of person he used to be, but they came to re-a-lize that things are different now, because the old Saul is now
the new Paul. Paul’s life was changed, and he was not afraid to suffer for the Lord, and would not allow anything or anyone to turn him away from the
Lord, Paul was going to stay with the Lord at all cost.
In our text we find Paul asking the question, Who or what can separate us from the love of God. Give some Christians some money, and they will start singing a new tune. Give some Christians a nice fancy title, and they will forget where they came from. Saints, do not allow anything or anyone to stop you from serving the Lord, so please stay with the Lord.......elaborate...
Too many people, even those who have trusted the Lord, feel that God does not love them. How could God love them when so often they have gone against his will? Somehow they have forgotten about the grace and mercy of the Lord. Somehow they feel a sense of un-worthiness, a sense of discouragement. Somehow they have a low esteem of themselves, and a life that
is defeated. I want someone to know today, that no matter what the circumstances might be; no matter what the situation might be; no matter what the
event might be, God’s love is always there. So my challenge to you today,that no matter what you are going through, stay with the Lord.
Bro. Paul knew how to stay with the Lord, and would not allow anyone or anything to separate him from the love of God. Some Christians, when the going gets tough, they wont stick around, they will travel over to easy street,you don’t bother me, and I wont bother you. Let’s check in with Bro. Paul once more as he writes. Who or what shall separate us from the love of
Christ. Will it be tribulation? When we say tribulation, we are talking about undergoing struggle, trials, temptations, suffering or affliction. Are you struggling? Are you going through trials? Are you suffering? Just stay with
the Lord....elaborate..... Will it be distress? When we say distress, we are talking about to suffer anguish, trouble, strain, agony, not knowing which
way to turn or what to do. Most American Christians have no idea what it means to be in distress. For them it might be, it is too hot or it is too cold; it is snowing or it is raining............elaborate...
Will it be persecution? Who wants to have persecution? Persecution means to be abused, mocked, ridiculed, shamed, mistreated, ignored,
neglected, harassed, attacked or injured, nobody wants that......elaborate.......Will it be famine? Most Americans have no idea what is meant by famine. It is to have no food, to be starving, and have no way to secure food. We like to eat, we like to have three square meals each meals each day............elaborate........Will it be nakedness? We liked to be decked out;
we like to look good, we like to have it altogether. Nakedness means, to be
stripped of all clothes, no picking and choosing as to what to wear; no earthly comforts, having all earthly possessions taken away, to be bare.........to have nothing.....elaborate.....Will it be peril? Peril means to be exposed to the most severe risks, to be confronted with the most terrible dangers to one’s body, property, family and loved ones. Are you in peril? Just stay with the Lord....Will it be the sword? To be killed or suffer martyrdom.....
Just think for awhile for a child of God going through all of this, tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, the sword. I wonder what thoughts would pass through that Christain’s mind? Would he feel forsaken?
Would he feel not being loved by God? No matter what that Christian might think, God still loves him. On this last Sunday of the year 2003, I want to
encourage every child of God here today to stay with the Lord. There is absolutely nothing, no matter how dark, gloomy and depressing it might seem, no matter how severe, that can separate that child of God from the love of Christ. God loves us no matter what the circumstances might be. Don’t you ever forget it, God loves you, so stay with the Lord. God cares about
you, so stay with the Lord, and do not forget that suffering is a part of the Christian life.
Saints, just in case you have forgotten, while you are in the world you are going to suffer.
Let’s look at verse 36 of our text (read) The world is going to count you as sheep for the slaughter. As long as you continue to live for Christ you will
suffer persecution, but I want to encourage you to stay with the Lord, do not give up. Verse 37 of our text should encourage us (read) Despite all our
sufferings, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ who loved us. No matter the circumstances, no matter how severe it might get, Jesus is there to
carry us through, so let’s stay with the Lord. Saints of God, rest assure Jesus will be there to carry you through, he has promised never to leave you nor
forsake you. Jesus Christ is our protector, he is like our body-guard, so there is nothing to be afraid of, all we have to do is to stay with the Lord. As long as you are willing to stay with the Lord, as long as you are willing to go through suffering, there is nothing in the world that can separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Some believers might get discouraged, and not willing to stay with the Lord, but if you stay with the Lord you will be all right.....elaborate...
Paul went on to say in verses 38 and 39 of our text, because of God’s love for me, he was persuaded, he was convinced that nothing could separate the
believer from the love of God. He said neither death or life. He is saying whether I live or whether I die, life or death could not separate him from the
love of God. He is saying, if you kill me that’s all right, because to die is gain.On the other hand, if you let me live that’s all right too, because for me to live is Christ, so whether I live or whether I die, I am the Lord’s. Paul went on to say, "no angels, principalities, or powers;" no creature, no being from any other dimension can separate us from Christ and his love. Not anything present or anything to come, absolutely nothing in existence or anything in future existence can cut us off from Christ and his love. No height or depth, whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing from
outer space or from the depths of the earth can cut us off from Christ and his love, so saints, stay with the Lord.
After naming everything possible, Paul said, if there be any other creature than the ones named, that creature cannot separate us from the love of God
which is in Christ our Lord. Nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Saints,God loves you, and because he loves you so much, I want to encourage you to stay with the Lord. Paul writes in Ephesians 2 verses 4 and 5, "But God,who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved) Paul also writes in Romans 5 verse 8, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Are you going through trials as a child of God? don’t give up, but stay with the Lord. Does sometime the way feels dark and lonely? don’t give up, but
stay with the Lord. Does sometimes it seems the problems are more than you can bear? don’t give up, but stay with the Lord. Stay with the Lord, and don’t
allow anyone or anything to turn you away from the Lord. As we face the New Year 2004, let’s live unto the Lord, let’s live to glorify God, and let’s
agree with the words of Paul in Romans 14 verse 8, "For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord; whether we live therefore,or die, we are the Lord’s."
I wonder how many here today will say, I am going to stay with the Lord; I am going to follow the Lord no matter how things might appear to be, if that
is you desire, I want to invite you to come and talk with the Lord..................elaborate...
If you are not saved, today is your time to seek the Lord........elaborate.....
Hymn # 429 - I am the Lord’s
Let us all stand
Closing song/prayer
