Sermon Notes

“Keep Going”

By Brother Kenneth Ray

October 11^th, 2009

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The first question is, “Why Should I keep going?”  The short answer is to grow; to gain confidence.  As you learn to keep this up, you will begin to feel that you can’t be stopped; your strength will increase.  You will be able to move mountains, when you used to cower at molehills.  You will begin to say, “Bring it on.”

There’s a difference between a relationship and a process.  Reading is a process; you can read your Bible all the time, and go to church every Sunday, but if it’s just a process, there’s no feeling in it.  Now if you study your Bible as part of your relationship to God, then He can speak to you through His Word, and it isn’t just a process.

Abraham had a relationship with God.

 James 2:23  Abraham was a friend of God.

 Moses, David, Samuel, and Elijah all had relationships with God.  They each trusted God.  Each of us needs to learn to trust God more, and ourselves less. 

If you ever see someone in a military uniform, and they have a chest full of medals, then you know that they did something to earn those medals.  We are in the crosshairs of the enemy; really everyone is, but most people have already been prevented from obtaining a relationship with God.

 Philippians 4:19  He will supply all your needs.

 Satan likes to say that things will be better if you just stop living for God, but…

 John 8:44  Satan is a liar.

 Satan breeds quitters.  He wants you to quit; he will tell you that the battles will stop if you just quit.  The battles still come, it’s just that you have given up your means to fight.  He wants to reset your focus: whether it be your car, family, a sickness, or even vanilla ice cream.

One of the keys is fellowship.  The Navy promotes a buddy system for protection:  If you go somewhere, go with others.  It may not always stop you from getting beat up, but at least there are other people there that have your back and keep you from getting beat up as badly.  In much the same way, spending time with our Christian brothers and sisters helps strengthen us, and helps us to watch each others backs.

There are four habits that you should develop:

1.                  You need to know where you can find salvation.

2.                  You need to know who gives salvation.

3.                  You need to communicate with Him.

4.                  You need to give back.

Job 1:1  Job was upright, and feared God.

            1 Samuel 17:32-37  David gave Saul his resume

            David explained to King Saul that he had gone after a lion and a bear that had taken sheep from his father’s flock, and that he had chased down those predators and killed them.  God delivered those fearsome creatures into the hand of David, and David had faith that He would do the same for Goliath.  Yet, later on, after David became king, he was someplace he wasn’t supposed to be, and he allowed himself to be distracted.  His advisors were apparently not on their toes, either, because they let him go.  He lost his focus, and he paid for it.

            2 Samuel 11:2-5

             We need to keep pressing forward; no one is without fault.  We need to work on our habits.  Take life one day at a time.  It is what you make it.  Give the battle over to God. 

             Ephesians 4:22  put off the old man.

            Jesus didn’t come to earth and die on the cross because we were the filth of the earth, and He wanted us to owe Him.  He came because He loves us.

             John 3:16  For God so loved…

             God gave you this relationship, not your health plan.

             Matthew 10:22  Ye shall be hated of all men for My Name’s sake…

           God has a reward for us; the one that He wants us to have, or the one that we deserve.  There are many reasons to keep going.  Get rid of your bad habits, and develop good habits, and just keep going.

                           Sermon notes by Pete Shepherd