“MIGHTY MEN OF VALOR PT.4 ”

April 27, 2008

New Life Bible Church

Allen McLauchlin, Pastor

"What is man that You magnify him,  And that You are concerned about him. Job 7:17

What is man that You take thought of him,  And the son of man that You care for him? Psalm 8:4

O Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him?  Or the son of man, that You think of him?  Psalm 144:3

1. God  understands our struggle.

O Lord, You have searched me and known me.  You know when I sit down and when I rise up;  You understand my thought from afar.  You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways.  Even before there is a word on my tongue,  Behold, O Lord, You know it all.  Psalm 139:1-4

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin.  Hebrews 4:15

For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing.  Romans 7:19

2. God is searching for something in our life that He can bless.

Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?"  He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it. Genesis 18:32

She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the back One who sees me. Genesis 16:13

Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers.  But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.  1 Peter 2:17,20b

3.  God is directly involved in every stage of our lives.

For you created my inmost being;  you knit me together in my mother's womb.   I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;  your works are wonderful,  I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you  when I was made in the secret place.  When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,  your eyes saw my unformed body.  All the days ordained for me  were written in your book. How precious to me are your thoughts, O  God!  How vast is the sum of them!  Were I to count them,  they would outnumber the grains of sand.  When I awake,  I am still with you.  Thy hands made me and fashioned me.  Psalm 139:13-17;119:73

If the LORD delights in a man's way,  he makes his steps firm;  though he stumble, he will not fall,  for the LORD upholds him with his hand.  I was young and now I am old,  yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken  or their children begging bread.  Psalm 37:23-25

FINALLY, OUR PART

4. There comes a time when every man should say, enough is enough.

If only you would slay the wicked, O God!  Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!  They speak of you with evil intent;  your adversaries misuse your name.  Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,  and abhor those who rise up against you?  I have nothing but hatred for them;  I count them my enemies.   Search me, O God, and know my heart;  test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me,  and lead me in the way everlasting.  Psalm 139:19-24

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  James 4:7

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.  1 Peter 5:8,9

You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit.  Acts 7:51

and he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me.  Acts 9:4b