Stay With The Lord

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