Complete Sermon Notes
Is the Lord “Really” With You
ACTS 11:21 And the hand of the Lord was with them…
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Joshua was defeated; Samson was overcome; Saul lost the kingdom.
Is the Lord Really With You?
No one influences you more than you. No one deceives us more than we deceive ourselves. Our defense attorney works overtime putting us in the best light. We have excuses, “reasons”, and justifications for everything.
BACK TO THE BASICS: It was July 1961 at Green Bay.
1. “They gave themselves fully to the work of God.”
Are you involved somewhere? Are you moving…are you active? As you give grace, grace is given. As you serve, God begins to bless and honor.
I’m not afraid of the Jabez prayer: “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!”
2. They came down off their high horse.
Expose the defense attorney – I EXPOSE HIM OFTEN
The self-righteous person lives in deception – the LORD is not with them!
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How can God lift you up when He says He will abase you?
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How can He teach you when it’s the humble He teaches.
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We pray for wisdom, but pride brings disgrace.
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We want healing and deliverance, but the humble He heals – “If My people”.
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“He has shown you, Oh man, what does the Lord require?”
Why most don’t change: their defense attorney wins another case!
3. They could NOT be conquered because they were UNITED.
SermonIndex, “Being poisoned by negative talk. One person in a church or ministry is dissatisfied, bitter, critical and unwilling to change. He/she starts to talk negatively and poisons others. Soon the atmosphere of love among the brothers and sisters is replaced by disunity, anger, and hardness of heart toward each other and the Lord.”
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“The hand of the Lord” will NOT be upon you if you are divisive.
WCF Motto: “Are you stirring the pot, or mending the wound?”
We must discern the spirits – Is this God or Satan?
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Corrie ten Boom said, “It’s a poor soldier, indeed, who doesn’t even recognize the enemy.”
Satan plants thoughts focused on pride, bitterness, anger, lying: David to number his army and Ananias to lie to the Holy Spirit.
JAMES 3:14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
What “spirit” is with you? 1 Tim. 4:1 [NIV] – The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.
Doctrine “of” demons – thoughts and demonic sources.
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Demonic is simply a characteristic – NOT just Ouija the origin of Evil, Blair Witch project, and The Conjuring.
4. People of prayer – they conquered the flesh more than the flesh conquered them!
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“Shane wants me to be perfect.” No I don’t – I want you to FIGHT!
“A man is who he is on his knees before GOD and nothing more.” McCheyne
5. The Spirit fell upon them – The sacrifice was made then the FIRE came!
“Will we look back with shame as we remember nights of prayer and genuine gifts of the Holy Ghost? When we were not clock watchers, and our meetings lasted for hours, saturated with holy power? Have we no tears for these memories, or shame that our children know nothing of such power?” – Leonard Ravenhill
WE GO BACK TO THE ANGRY HOME / GO BACK TO THE ADDICTIONS / GO BACK TO THE WRONG RELATIONSHIPS / GO BACK TO THE DEPRESSION AND THE HOPELESSNESS / GO BACK TO THE FAILED MARRIAGE / GO BACK TO ANXIETY AND FEAR / GO BACK TO BOREDOM AND COMPLACENCY … GO BACK TO SLEEP
CLOSING: … and a great number believed and turned to the Lord:
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Have you Believed? Have you Turned?
O come to the altar: “Are you hurting and broken within… Overwhelmed by the weight of your sin …Jesus is calling …Have you come to the end of yourself …Do you thirst for a drink from the well… Jesus is calling …O come to the altar.”
