An Invitation To Stand

Notes

The HOPE of this series:  Standing so that others may see God!

If you would declare "I Will Stand" - you'll need to know...

A.  Standing where you don’t want to be but it’s actually where God is.

• Where you STAND will NEVER be wasted because God USES ALL things in our life to shape who we are to look more like who He is.

B.  Standing confidently that you’ll NEVER STAND ALONE.

• His sovereignty is a reminder of His Presence!

C.  Standing in His Presence means you’ll see His Power!

• God will often show himself powerful to others through His power at work in you!

The only reason we can stand is because Someone already stood for us… His Name is Jesus!

Verses

{“During the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. The Lord gave him victory over King Jehoiakim of Judah and permitted him to take some of the sacred objects from the Temple of God. So Nebuchadnezzar took them back to the land of Babylonia and placed them in the treasure-house of his god. Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief of staff, to bring to the palace some of the young men of Judah’s royal family and other noble families, who had been brought to Babylon as captives.” Daniel 1:1-3 NLT}{“And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father?... God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way." Hebrews 12:5-8 NLT}{“My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.” 1 John 2:1-2 NLT}

Quotes

Rocky Balboa : “I ain’t going down no more!” (Rocky II); Larry Osborne : “He offers us a model for not only surviving but actually thriving in the midst of a godless environment. He found a way, in a culture far more wicked than anything we face, to glorify and serve God with such integrity and power that kings, peasants, and an entire nation turned to acknowledge the splendor of the living God.” (Thriving In Babylon); Rick Warren : “Since God intends to make you like Jesus, he will take you through the same experiences Jesus went through. That includes loneliness, temptation, stress, criticism, rejection, and many other problems.” (Purpose Driven Life); John Piper : “Life is not a straight line leading from one blessing to the next and then finally to heaven. Life is a winding and troubled road. Switchback after switchback. And the point of biblical stories… is to help us feel in our bones (not just know in our heads) that God is for us in all these strange turns. God is not just showing up after the trouble and cleaning it up. He is plotting the course and managing the troubles with far-reaching purposes for our good and for the glory of Jesus Christ.” (A Sweet and Bitter Providence);