West Lynchburg

1. Because God is in control, MY PLANS HAVE A LIMIT.

2. Because God is in control, MY PROBLEMS HAVE A PURPOSE.

3. Because God is in control, MY PRAYERS HAVE AN IMPACT.

1) WHEN do we need to Call Upon God for Power?  

A. We need God’s power to Get Started!

B. We need God’s power to Keep Going!

2) HOW do we Call Upon God for Power?

a. Admit our lack of power and ASK (Eph 3:20)

b. Believe by Faith and THINK (Eph 3:12 & 20)

c. Connect  to DO. (Eph 3:20-21)

4 essentials to Calling Upon God for Joy:

Call Upon God for… 

1) A Perspective to Live From (v12-14)

(v12) I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel

* It affects unbelievers (v13)  so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.

* It encourages believers (v14) And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Courage is contagious. Paul’s boldness encouraged Christians to be bold.

Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

 2) A Priority to Live By (v15-18)

15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment

Paul’s response to his critics (v18) What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice.

So What priority should I live by? 

Proverbs 3:6, “In all your ways acknowledge him, & he will make straight your paths.”

For a perspective to live from, pray “God help me see like You see”

For a priority to live by, pray  "God help me acknowledge you & value what You value”

3) A Power to Live On (v19-20)

Paul’s has 2 sources of strength (v19-20)

Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.

* Prayers of the Saints. 

* Provision of the Spirit. 

4) A Purpose to Live For (v21-26)

Paul’s purpose for living (v21) - For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Paul says, “My purpose is clear.” So, how do you fill in this blank? "For me to live is__." 

* "For me to live is possessions." Accumulation of stuff. Life, liberty & purchase of happiness. The tragedy is many people have so much to live on yet nothing to live for.

* "For me to live is pleasure." I just want to have fun. If it feels good, do it. I love to travel, to take vacations, drink this, smoke that, play golf, anything that brings me pleasure. The ultimate goal in life is just to have fun.

* “For me to live is prestige." Power, status, popularity, position. I want other people to look up to me. How many followers do I have?  Will I go viral?  We live in the most narcissistic culture in human history.  

Phil 3:13-14, “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Invest your life in something that will outlast it.

Psalm 50:14-15, "Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”

In 2023, we must develop a... 

1) Heart of Thanksgiving

2) Habit of Obedience 

3) Humility of Prayer 

Numbers 24:17, "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel;"

Micah 5:2, "But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days."

Wise men -

1) Sought the truth

2) Caught the joy

3) Brought their worship/gifts

A Christmas at Home is one that has:

Worship is elevated by...

1) Living & Loving God's Covenant of Marriage (2:10-16) 

2) Living & Loving God's  Commitment to Men (2:17-3:6)

3) Giving & Growing Our Best (1:6-2:9) 4) Giving & Growing Our All (3:7-12)

5) Trusting & Turning to God’s Promise of Glorification of God (1:1-5) 

God is Love (v2) PAST

God is Loyal (v2-4) - PRESENT

God is Limitless (v5) - FUTURE

6) Trusting & Turning to God’s Promise of Restoration (of a Remnant) (3:13-4:6)

God will... * Reject the fearless

God will... * Remember the faithful

God will... * Restore the family

Worship is elevated by...

1) Living and Loving God's Covenant of Marriage

2) Living and Loving God's Commitment to Men

Malachi: Empty Religion or Vibrant Faith with Possessions

Worship is elevated by...

1) Giving and Growing Our Best (1:6-2:9) 

2) Giving and Growing Our All (3:6-12)

4-Month Giving Challenge - wlbc.life/four/

Here, worship is broken. It is not acceptable.

Presence & emotion are not enough! Sunday worship is only as valid as your life all week

Worship is either helped or hindered by: how we treat people - possessions - God’s promises

Malachi writes with a Chiastic structure: a literary technique working from the center outward.

Worship is elevated by… 1) Living and Loving God's Covenant of Marriage (2:10-16)

We have ONE Father... One Creator... One Lord that we follow

Yet, we profane the sanctuary (worship) of the Lord in 2 Ways:

* marrying those who do NOT follow the Lord

* divorcing a spouse that DOES follow the Lord

* 2) Living and Loving God's Commitment to Mankind (2:17-3:5)

The injustice of the people:

1) link with sorcerers (fortunetellers) - dabbling in the occult, horoscopes,

2) lust for the flesh (adulterers) - sing against your spouse or future spouse

3) language of falseness (swear falsely) - life about someone and to someone

4) larceny in finances (oppress wage earner) - stealing from othere

5) lawlessness among families (widow and fatherless/orphans) - oppressing the vulnerable, having no power to protect themselves.

6) liability toward foreigners (turn aside the alien) - people not from here and not like us

This list of injustices reveals the practices in Malachi’s time and even our own days.

This is not an exhaustive list, but does indicate areas opposed to God’s law

Antagonist or apathetic?

What’s the difference between indifference to injustice and injustice? Not much!

Or perhaps you have been an accuser. Seeing injustice, you accuse God of not caring.

Our view and actions with injustice in this world testify our relationship with God

God’s answer to the injustice… was to send 2 messengers

- 3:1 “Behold, I send my messenger (John the Baptist), and he will prepare the way before

- 3:1b “the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

This last Messager will set ALL things right!

Do you trust God?

Is He your ONE FATHER…. ONE CREATOR?

How is your worship? How is it displayed in your home? In your life? In your interactions with the hurting and hopeless?

Jesus has come… has He come to you? To your heart?

Do you delight in Him and demonstrate His love to others?

Everyone can persevere by understanding 3 life-changing truths:

Truth #1: Suffering produces perseverance.

All sufferings are not the same and there are three basic types of sufferings.

a) Suffering to bring you back to God

b) Suffering for others benefit for God’s glory

c) Suffering as a Christian in a non-Christian world

Truth #2: Perseverance produces character.

Truth #3: Character produces hope

Stand for Truth - 1 Timothy 4:1-9

We are in a Spiritual War

1 Tim 4:1 “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,”

Deceit is Satan’s most powerful weapon. It looks like truth from the outside, but as we get closer, sometimes it raises questions that we choose to ignore.

1 Tim 4:2 “through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,”

Other Gospels Are Present

We are in a spiritual war and there are other gospels that are being presented as truth, but they’re twisted lies from Satan trying to lure us.

1 Tim 4:3 “who (the teachers from v1) forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth...”

Pressure from our Culture

Our culture today encourages these same teachings. As a society we are bombarded about these same practices.

Knowing the truth is so important. In a world that doesn’t know truth, we have to keep our eyes focused on God’s truth, the truth above all else. That truth is found in Scripture.

1 Tim 4:4-5 “For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.”

God only creates good things.

1 Tim 4:6 “If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed.”

Paul has given Timothy this warning and he wants him to spread that warning to others in the church he is leading.

This is the first act of obedience that Paul is telling Timothy to do in this section.

Become a Student of the Bible

We need a trainer. We need to train each other. If we are in a spiritual war, you don’t go to war without proper training.

Same with us as followers of Jesus. Many of us haven’t been properly trained.

Bible App Plan - Delights and Disciplines of Bible Study - 4 day plan that will get you started.

1 Tim 4:7 “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness;”

Focus on obeying God. Don’t get distracted with superficial things.

1 Tim 4:8 “for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

God’s Words are Supreme

When reading the Bible at least 4 times a week

* Loneliness drops 30%

* Anger drops 30%

* Getting drunk drops 55%

* Sexual sins drop 65%

1 Tim 4:9 “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance.”

Stay focused on obedience to Jesus