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Sermon: Climb Far
...seven
challenges from God
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MP3 “Nothing is impossible to a willing heart”
And it was Christ that said,
“With God all things are possible.” --Matthew 19:26; Mark 9:23; 10:27; 14:36
These men are talking about the challenges of life.
We meet with challenges everyday. The Word of God is full of challenges to mankind.
Today we are going to look at 7 Challenges of God and my purpose for you today is…
“ACCEPT THE CHALLENGES OF GOD”
1. God Challenges you to…
Grow in your own Christian walk.
The Challenge: 1 Tim 6:12
1 Timothy 6:12 [see Lesson] Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
3 John 1:1-4 1 The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth. 2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
Romans 8:4-6 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Proverbs 23:12 Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Psalm 119:105-109 106 I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments. 107 I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O LORD, according unto thy word. 108 Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, and teach me thy judgments. 109 My soul is continually in my hand: yet do I not forget thy law.
1 John 5:1-3 1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
2. God Challenges you to…
Share your faith with your children.
The Challenge: Deuteronomy 6 and beginning in verse 6.
Deuteronomy 6:6-9 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
1 Kings 2:1-4 1 Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying, 2 I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man; 3 And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself: 4 That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.
Deuteronomy 31:12-13 12 Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law:
13 And that their children, which have
not known any thing, may hear, and learn to fear the LORD your God, as
long as ye live in the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it. A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke.
Proverbs 15:5 A fool despiseth his father's instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.
Proverbs 3:1-10 1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: 2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. 3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: 4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. 9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: 10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
3. God Challenges you to…
Deal honestly with those close to you.
The Challenge
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; 12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.
Colossians 3:9-10 9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
Proverbs 3:27-35 27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. 28 Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee. 29 Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee. 30 Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm. 31 Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways. 32 For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous. 33 The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just. 34 Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly. 35 The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.
Now I want to read you a story about David and the subject of Honesty. This story is found in 2 Samuel and chapter 12.
After David had sinned with Bathsheba, he conspired to do away with her husband so that he could have her. After Uriah was murdered, Nathan the prophet came to David. Listen to what he had to say…
2 Samuel chapter 12 and beginning in verse 1
1 And the LORD sent Nathan unto David.
And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city;
the one rich, and the other poor. 4 And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him. 5 And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: 6 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.
7 And Nathan said to David,----------
Thou art the man.
4. God Challenges you to…
Forgive your fellow brothers and sisters when they sin.
The Challenge
Mark 11:25-26 25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
Luke 17:3-4 3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. 4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.
Proverbs 20:7 The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.
Mark 11:25 says… And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
Matthew 6:14-15 14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
During the great E-mail debates, a number of people said that “forgiveness” was not the issue.
How can we read these verses and say that?
When I constantly responded that “forgiveness” WAS the issue, I was asked, “Well, if a person can just repent all the time, what could disqualify a person from being a leader of this church or even a member of this church.
I responded that there were several I could think of including:
A] not repenting of sin. B] committing the unpardonable sin. C] not responding to the rebuke of elders when openly sinning (1 Tim 5:21). D] preaching heresy. E] becoming possessed of a demon that could not be driven out. F] If he or she exhibited great hate for his brothers in the faith.
Forgiveness is an important challenge that God gives us. Without it we cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.
It was the English poet, George Herbert that said: “He that cannot forgive others, breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass if he would ever enter into the Kingdom; for every one has need to be forgiven…”
5. God Challenges you to…
Never stop loving your spouse.
The Challenge:
Ephesians 5:25-33 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
1 Peter 3:7
7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
…that your prayers be not hindered….(comment)
How many here have seen the movie, “Titanic”? [1997 – James Cameron]
This is the most accurate movie about the sinking of this great ship that has ever been made. It becomes the backdrop for a fictionalized love story which is indeed intense. Two people fall in love……a great love that will last only a few short days before they are separated by the sinking on that fateful night in April of 1912.
What we come to see is that even the sinking of this ship and their being plunged into 28 degree waters on a dark, moonless night could not quench their great love for one another.
Look at a passage from the Song of Solomon.
Chapter 8 and beginning in verse 6:
Song of Solomon 8:6-7
6 Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a
seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel
as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most
vehement flame. Husbands, accept the challenge…love your wives. Wives, you accept the challenge…love your husbands.
6. God Challenges you to…
Be wise with your family’s finances.
The Challenge:
Psalm 37:3-5 3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. 4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
Wait a minute…what are these verses saying?
The challenge is to be wise with your family’s finances.
Where are the verses about having a budgets, paying bills and earning money. Clearly these are important in the balance of God’s Word but look at what these verses are saying.
Something is clearly more important… Turn to Deuteronomy 28 and beginning in verse 1
1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: 2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. 3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. 4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. 5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. 6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
Now look at 1 Timothy 5:8 [see Lesson] But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
Notice the inserted phrase of that verse, “he hath denied the faith”
It is of the utmost importance that we put our faith in God, obey God and look constantly to God for our financial health.
Look at Proverbs 16 and verse 8 Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.
Job 36 and verse 11 says If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.
What a wonderful challenge but there is an even greater challenge of God regarding our finances…
Let us see what that challenge is…
7. God Challenges you to…
Bring your tithe into the storehouse.
The Challenge:
Proverbs 3:9-10 9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: 10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
Notice now the definitive verse on this challenge…
Malachi 3:10-11 10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. 11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.
Psalms 92 and verse 12 SAYS… The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
A part of righteousness is giving to God what is His.
These are just 7 challenges of our great
and loving Father. 2] Share your faith with your children. 3] Deal honestly with those close to you. 4] Forgive your fellow brothers and sisters when they sin. 5] Never stop loving your spouse. 6] Be wise with your family’s finances. 7] Bring your tithe into the storehouse.
Climb far, your goal the sky, your aim
the Kingdom! |
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