2:1: When I came to you, brothers, I didn’t come with excellence of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.
2:2: For I determined not to know anything among you, except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
2:3: I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.
2:4: My speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
I. Wanting Versus Determination
A. Wanting
1. Passively expresses a Desire
2. Does not require an action
3. Does not require faith
4. No requirements for satisfaction
5. No guarantee of success
6. Can last a lifetime – and endless circle
7. The treasure of a fool
8. Standing Still
B. Determination
1. Phil. 3 : 8 - 12
2. Actively expresses a need
3. Requires extreme faith
4. Requires action now
5. Absolute requirements for action
6. Guarantees success – do or die mentality
7. Lasts until the objective is reached
8. The treasure of the wise – Stands in the power of God (I Cor. 2 : 5)
9. Pressing Forward
10. The Deer – Psalm 42 : 1 – 4
11. I will [do whatever] no matter what
II. The nature of serving God
A. God extends the invitation
B. We must choose to accept the call (James 2:7 – faith without works)
C. God grants us a measure of faith and gifts
D. We must choose to walk in the spirit (Rom 8 : 4 – 5 – walk after the spirit)
E. God gives calls us to service
F. We must choose to press in (Phil 3:12 – pressing towards the goal)
G. God calls to righteousness
H. We must strive unto perfection (Matthew 5:48 – be prefect)
I. God calls us to love
J. We must respond with love (Mat 22:38-39 – Love and love, I Cor 13 – about love)
Serving God is about keeping a covenant – no matter what.
III. No Matter What
A. Don’t let the flame go out – Preacher’s Wife
B. Pressing through the crowd just to touch Him – you don’t let Him just pass by
C. Reaching high enough to touch His face – you don’t just stand there and look up
D. Determining and setting your mind – you don’t just hope for the right reactions
E. Determining to obey – you don’t leave it to your own judgement
IV. Closing
A. Sitting on the closet floor
B. The Walk of Angels
