“I have something you can’t take from me.
I have something that endures forever.” -Pastor Chad Everett
We won’t grow and be like Jesus in easy times. We become like Jesus through adversity. Persecution is coming, and God is saying that it is time for us to be prepared, to ENDURE. What we have, what we own, what is in our bank accounts – THE BIBLE SAYS THAT ALL OF THIS IS TEMPORARY.
WE CAN NOT PUT OUR FAITH OR HOPE IN EARTHLY THINGS.
We have to put our faith AND our hope in an ENDURING possession.
MAIN SCRIPTURE REFERENCE:
But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:
“For yet a little while,
and He who is coming will come and will not tarry.
Now the just shall live by faith;
but if anyone draws back,
my soul has no pleasure in him.” Hebrews 10:32-39 (NKJV)
Mark 4:13–14, Genesis 1:11–12, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, Hebrews 10:32–34, Ephesians 1:16–19
If Christ fasted, should Christians fast? 𝗬𝗘𝗦.
God is wanting to prepare the Bride for the days ahead, and fasting is a key tool that will help us be prepared. Fasting is something EVERY Christian should do.
Fasting is difficult! Pastor Chad Everett said “I do not feel led to fast! I feel like eating!” What we feel doesn’t determine our direction. What Jesus says determines our direction. (Matthew 6:16)
Therefore, we must ENDURE difficult things (like fasting; see last week’s sermon) to PREPARE ourselves for what is ahead. We are grateful to Holy Spirit for using this teaching to encourage us, and prepare us for the temptation ahead of us. Temptation IS coming, temptation IS real, and temptation IS coming to us all. Main Scripture References: “Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” Joel 2:12 (NKJV)
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:1-4
Matthew 6:16–18, Matthew 9:14–15, Genesis 3:1–4, James 1:12–15, Matthew 4:1–4
Our faith grows stronger through adversity. Are we willing for Jesus to lead us into difficult situations? When we allow the Spirit to lead us, He will lead us into places we don’t like.
Satan will lead us into temptation with the agenda to trap us, causing us to fail and walk away from God. The Spirit will also lead us into an encounter with the enemy, not to hurt us, but His agenda is to reveal strength in us against the accuser that we didn’t know was in us. We must be prepared, and recognize the difference as we encounter difficult seasons.
John 4:31–34, Matthew 4:1–4, 1 Kings 19:5–8, Mark 14:38, 2 Corinthians 12:9
LEAVE ALL. RISE UP. FOLLOW HIM.
Jesus gives the invitation to “Follow Me.” Just like Matthew, what we decide to do after the invitation. determines the relationship. There should be a measurable difference in our lives when we choose to follow Jesus.
What are you not willing to leave for God? Is it holding you back from truly following Him?
Matthew 4:1–4, Luke 5:27–28, 2 Corinthians 12:9
Faith – is it a matter of it being too small? Does our Faith really need to grow? Or is it that we need to increase our kŏinōnia – our partnership, our fellowship, our communion with our faith given to us by God, and eliminate our kŏinōnia with everything else? What if rather than “increasing our faith,” we realize that we’re partnering with too many other things, other than our faith, and what God says?
If we, as believers are communing with unbelief, with fears, with discouragement and disappointments, asking we’re others, and not God to speak into our situations, and we kŏinōnia with them, guess what?! We get the benefits and privileges attached to those partnerships. Whatever is being produced in and out of that communion, will begin to produce out of you.
Who are you hanging out with, what are you listening to and watching, what are you embracing? We have to sit down with Holy Spirit and ask where we kŏinōnia with the wrong things. Until we do, we will never walk in freedom.
Matthew 17:19–20, 2 Corinthians 4:13, 2 Corinthians 6:14, Philemon 1–7, Romans 12:3