In our text Joshua is chasing after 5 kings. He gets word that they are hold up in a cave. Joshua orders the cave sealed with rocks and posted guards. This was at the end of a day where God had provided great victories. It would have been easy for Joshua to rest his troops for the night after a hard days battle. Instead, Joshua tells his men that it is not time to put the sword up. He tells them to continue chasing and killing the enemies. Our church has just come off of a week of prayer and fasting. We have seen breakthroughs and victories. But like Joshua’s men, now is not the time to put up our swords. We must keep up the fight. God had given them that moment to defeat their enemies. He has given us such a moment. We can take hold of the promise of God if we will not stand but pursue. Many of us knock down our enemy, but we don’t finish the job. David had the giant on the ground. Before the giant had even come to rest on the ground, David ran in and finished the job so that Goliath would never again be a threat. The bible tells us that Joshua left none remaining. There were no prisoners or survivors. The bible says that Joshua left nothing undone. We talk often about the armor of God described in Ephesians. God did not give us armor and weapons so that we can sit back and watch Him do it all. We are in a spiritual battle. We must stand not but pursue.

In our text Joshua is chasing after 5 kings. He gets word that they are hold up in a cave. Joshua orders the cave sealed with rocks and posted guards. This was at the end of a day where God had provided great victories. It would have been easy for Joshua to rest his troops for the night after a hard days battle. Instead, Joshua tells his men that it is not time to put the sword up. He tells them to continue chasing and killing the enemies. Our church has just come off of a week of prayer and fasting. We have seen breakthroughs and victories. But like Joshua’s men, now is not the time to put up our swords. We must keep up the fight. God had given them that moment to defeat their enemies. He has given us such a moment. We can take hold of the promise of God if we will not stand but pursue. Many of us knock down our enemy, but we don’t finish the job. David had the giant on the ground. Before the giant had even come to rest on the ground, David ran in and finished the job so that Goliath would never again be a threat. The bible tells us that Joshua left none remaining. There were no prisoners or survivors. The bible says that Joshua left nothing undone. We talk often about the armor of God described in Ephesians. God did not give us armor and weapons so that we can sit back and watch Him do it all. We are in a spiritual battle. We must stand not but pursue.

Mercy is more than just a word. It is one of the characteristics of God. It is His attitude toward mankind. Mercy is defined as compassion for the miserable. It is the act of being spared judgment. It is when one receives from God that which we do not deserve. It is withheld judgment and punishment. Mercy is simply not getting what we deserve. How many times can we count in our own lives when we have been given mercy? What have we been saved from, but for the mercy of God? Mercy is displayed throughout the bible; men and women who were spared from what they deserve. There is nothing more incredible that the mercies of God. What could be greater than mercy? Bro. Hughes suggests that there is something better than mercy: Grace. Grace is the unmerited favor of God. It is the undeserved love of God. It is not earned, nor is it something to which we are entitled. Grace is what we receive because He loves us. God’s favor is His blessing upon us. Not because of who we are, but because of who He is. It is God offering us something that we do not deserve. God’s grace is greater than our shortcomings; it is greater than our sin. We cannot change yesterday, but God’s grace will allow us to start over fresh every day. Grace allows us to close the door on yesterday and build a new beginning. We do not deserve God’s grace, but oh aren’t we glad that He gives it?

Mercy is more than just a word. It is one of the characteristics of God. It is His attitude toward mankind. Mercy is defined as compassion for the miserable. It is the act of being spared judgment. It is when one receives from God that which we do not deserve. It is withheld judgment and punishment. Mercy is simply not getting what we deserve. How many times can we count in our own lives when we have been given mercy? What have we been saved from, but for the mercy of God? Mercy is displayed throughout the bible; men and women who were spared from what they deserve. There is nothing more incredible that the mercies of God. What could be greater than mercy? Bro. Hughes suggests that there is something better than mercy: Grace. Grace is the unmerited favor of God. It is the undeserved love of God. It is not earned, nor is it something to which we are entitled. Grace is what we receive because He loves us. God’s favor is His blessing upon us. Not because of who we are, but because of who He is. It is God offering us something that we do not deserve. God’s grace is greater than our shortcomings; it is greater than our sin. We cannot change yesterday, but God’s grace will allow us to start over fresh every day. Grace allows us to close the door on yesterday and build a new beginning. We do not deserve God’s grace, but oh aren’t we glad that He gives it?

In order to keep a fire going, it must be tended. Someone has to be mindful to stir the fire and to continue to add fuel. If left alone a fire will consume all of its fuel and will go out. Our spiritual fire is no different. Paul writing to Timothy reminded him to fan the flames. Just like the Levitical priests in the desert, the fire had to be kept going. Fanning this flame is a daily effort. It is not enough to only fan the flame on Sunday, it is a daily effort the keep the fire burning.

In order to keep a fire going, it must be tended. Someone has to be mindful to stir the fire and to continue to add fuel. If left alone a fire will consume all of its fuel and will go out. Our spiritual fire is no different. Paul writing to Timothy reminded him to fan the flames. Just like the Levitical priests in the desert, the fire had to be kept going. Fanning this flame is a daily effort. It is not enough to only fan the flame on Sunday, it is a daily effort the keep the fire burning.

Demus is a bit of a mystery to us. There are only three verses in the Bible that mention him. His is a story of tragedy. This man showed such potential and prospect that Paul included him in his inner circle. Yet in 2 Timothy 4, we see that Demus did not live up to that trust and privilege. When we are introduced to him in Philemon, Demus is described as a fellow labourer by the Apostle Paul. In Colossians, Paul only refers to him by name. Something happen between these two times that lowered the view of Demus to only a mention. Finally, in 2 Timothy, he is described as someone who had abandoned Paul and walked away because he loved the things of the world. What had to happen for a man who was an insider in the early church to trade the eternal for temporal things? How did he move from involvement, commitment, and working to being a bystander and a deserter? It is not something that happens overnight, but gradually over a period of time. Paul may have seen something in Demus and perhaps even tried to address it, but nevertheless, Demus fell away. Maybe it began with a spirit of complaining. Traveling with Paul was not an easy life. Maybe Demus got tired of the struggle of preaching the word of God in the early church. It could be that Demus began to find fault with the church, Paul, or the others that were traveling together. That initial feeling of irritation then yields to thoughts of unfairness and comparing his life to others. At that point, the attractiveness of the word begins to take greater hold. Initially the draw of the world is euphoric and thrilling. The longer this feeling continues, it begins to quite and then eventually mute the draw of the spirit. Bro. Hughes asks Demus a question this morning: What Happened? Demus might simply reply, “It began with a look.” He might say it began when my attention was diverted from what really mattered to things that were only temporal. When we give ourselves the opportunity to explore what is out there, we open ourselves up to great danger. When we become distracted like that, we look to help from the wrong sources. Demus might go on to say that the next step after I lost focus, was a shift in the things that I love. His body may have been in the present, but his mind was elsewhere. How many of us sit in a church service and think; when will this be over? We may mouth the words to the songs, but our mind is on everything but worshiping God. Demus, if he were in church today might say “I got tired of church.” No doubt, Demus began to find new friends. Friends who did not share his faith. Friends who were not grounded in a belief in God and worshiping Him. Demus likely began to turn to these new friends for encouragement and advice. These friends no doubt told him that “You don’t deserve that” and “You deserve to be happy.” After misplaced attention and misplaced affection, Demus then began to have misplaced allegiances. He began to be more committed to these new friends and what was important to them. This starts when we lose our attention and focus, The devil is doing his best to distract us because he knows how effective that is. The same dangers that Demus faced, are present for us today. We have to guard against Misplaced Attention, Misplaced Affection, and Misplaced Allegiance.

Demus is a bit of a mystery to us. There are only three verses in the Bible that mention him. His is a story of tragedy. This man showed such potential and prospect that Paul included him in his inner circle. Yet in 2 Timothy 4, we see that Demus did not live up to that trust and privilege. When we are introduced to him in Philemon, Demus is described as a fellow labourer by the Apostle Paul. In Colossians, Paul only refers to him by name. Something happen between these two times that lowered the view of Demus to only a mention. Finally, in 2 Timothy, he is described as someone who had abandoned Paul and walked away because he loved the things of the world. What had to happen for a man who was an insider in the early church to trade the eternal for temporal things? How did he move from involvement, commitment, and working to being a bystander and a deserter? It is not something that happens overnight, but gradually over a period of time. Paul may have seen something in Demus and perhaps even tried to address it, but nevertheless, Demus fell away. Maybe it began with a spirit of complaining. Traveling with Paul was not an easy life. Maybe Demus got tired of the struggle of preaching the word of God in the early church. It could be that Demus began to find fault with the church, Paul, or the others that were traveling together. That initial feeling of irritation then yields to thoughts of unfairness and comparing his life to others. At that point, the attractiveness of the word begins to take greater hold. Initially the draw of the world is euphoric and thrilling. The longer this feeling continues, it begins to quite and then eventually mute the draw of the spirit. Bro. Hughes asks Demus a question this morning: What Happened? Demus might simply reply, “It began with a look.” He might say it began when my attention was diverted from what really mattered to things that were only temporal. When we give ourselves the opportunity to explore what is out there, we open ourselves up to great danger. When we become distracted like that, we look to help from the wrong sources. Demus might go on to say that the next step after I lost focus, was a shift in the things that I love. His body may have been in the present, but his mind was elsewhere. How many of us sit in a church service and think; when will this be over? We may mouth the words to the songs, but our mind is on everything but worshiping God. Demus, if he were in church today might say “I got tired of church.” No doubt, Demus began to find new friends. Friends who did not share his faith. Friends who were not grounded in a belief in God and worshiping Him. Demus likely began to turn to these new friends for encouragement and advice. These friends no doubt told him that “You don’t deserve that” and “You deserve to be happy.” After misplaced attention and misplaced affection, Demus then began to have misplaced allegiances. He began to be more committed to these new friends and what was important to them. This starts when we lose our attention and focus, The devil is doing his best to distract us because he knows how effective that is. The same dangers that Demus faced, are present for us today. We have to guard against Misplaced Attention, Misplaced Affection, and Misplaced Allegiance.

Bro. Hughes has designated the first week of February 2018 as a week of prayer and fasting. Greater Life Church is in the midst of revival. A revival like this is sustained with prayer. Our text tonight contains examples of intense prayer. Both Hanna and Elijah prayed to God with an intensity and fervency. Not a simple 10 minute prayer, but an intense prayer that took them to another level. If Greater Life Church is to accomplish the things God has in store, we will have to increase the fervency of our prayer. Please join us the week of February 5 for a week of prayer and fasting.

Bro. Hughes has designated the first week of February 2018 as a week of prayer and fasting. Greater Life Church is in the midst of revival. A revival like this is sustained with prayer. Our text tonight contains examples of intense prayer. Both Hanna and Elijah prayed to God with an intensity and fervency. Not a simple 10 minute prayer, but an intense prayer that took them to another level. If Greater Life Church is to accomplish the things God has in store, we will have to increase the fervency of our prayer. Please join us the week of February 5 for a week of prayer and fasting.