“Come Alongside Me” By Brother Kenneth Ray March 14th,
2010 When someone or something is alongside you, it is not in front of you or behind you; it is right next to you. When an officer of the law wants to let you know that maybe you need to slow your speed, he or she might come along side you; look out tour side window, and their face is in yours. When working with God, sometimes we get impatient, and want to move on ahead, and we have to wait on God. Sometimes we want to stay back. God wants you beside Him. Does anyone like to work alone? Are any of you also good at working as part of a team? Working alone isn’t always easy. Some things are one-man jobs; they just require one person to do. Some things are tasks that require two people. Others need more. In these cases, working alone makes it much harder, if not impossible, to do. In
the Old Testament, we see God often came to His people one on one. He called Abraham, Moses, Jacob, Samuel, Noah
and David. These people followed God’s
direction, and the people would follow them.
It was a pretty exclusive club. Exodus 33:1, 11 …the Lord spake unto Moses face to face. Isaiah
59:1-2, 16 …there was no
intercessor. There was no intercessor, no bridge to cross the gap. Christ had not come. In the New Testament, Jesus came to earth in the form of a man. John
4:24 God is a spirit… He called twelve, but everyone had access to Him. He told lots of people, “Follow Me.” Some of the men that He called were fishermen, and he said, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They dropped their nets and left their father, to go with a stranger. These were not recreational fishermen, this was the family business. The position of the father has, unfortunately, diminished somewhat since those days; then the father was the ultimate authority. John
15:15 …I have called you friends. They were not servants, they were His friends, because He gave them knowledge of what the father had made known unto Him. That knowledge still exists today. Jesus went away, but he left the comfort of the Holy Ghost. When Jesus gave the great Commission, He was basically saying, ‘Now it is time for me to prepare. I’ve got to go.’ That door is opening for us to come through and to be alongside Him. Matthew
28:20 …I am with you
always… John 14:26 …the Comforter… The
Spirit didn’t die. Spirits can’t
die. That’s why Jesus was called
Immanuel “God with us.” He sent His Holy
Spirit to be in us. Acts 1:9-11 …why stand ye here gazing?... The
angels had to tell them, ‘Remember? He
told you to do something…’ Acts 2:38-39 …this promise is unto you, and unto your children, and as many as are afar off… Here we see what Jesus had for them to do. This is how we come alongside Jesus and allow Him to come alongside us. Each of us has a relationship with God; it may be good, or it may be bad. We can be in tune with the Holy Ghost; not in front of, or behind, but side by side, in step with the Holy Ghost. Moving at the same time in the same direction. This is what God is calling people to today. Jesus chose twelve; He walked with them, talked with them, ate with them, sometimes rebuked them, trained them, and prepared them. He turned the work of the ministry over to them. Now it was their time to come alongside the Holy Ghost to do the work which they had been trained to carry out. We have work to do; it comes in many forms. God wants us to walk by His side, so that we can guide our steps, works, heart, and vision. Moses needed his hands held up. Exodus
17:11-12 …Aaron and Hur stayed
up his hands… Aaron and Hur first had to come alongside Him, before they could help him by holding his hands up. Maybe someone at work, or a classmate, or a friend needs support. Maybe someone needs a friend, or a tire changed. If we stay by God’s side, He may open the door in someone’s life that allows them to come what that means and the joys of salvation. God is holding onto us, we are not holding onto Him. Acts
20:24 …the ministry, which I
have received of the Lord Jesus. God gives us renewable energy. Stick alongside God. Sermon notes by Pete Shepherd |
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