MATTERS TO CONSIDER

Pastor Rick Jackson

I. THERE IS THE MATTER OF ACCESS

"We have access by one Spirit unto the Father" [Eph 2:18]

1. Think about Who and what God is

"God is holy" (1 Peter 1:16)
He is "the mighty God" [Isa. 9:7]
He is "the eternal God" [Deut. 33:27]

2. Remember we are to "fear God" [1 Peter 2:17]
It is no wonder that we all feel so unworthy to come to God for "help in time of need" [Hb. 4:16]

3. Learn that "the Holy Spirit helps our infirmities" [Rom. 8:26] and gives liberty, "for where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" [2 Cor 3:17] to have access unto the Father.

"This is a reality as we 'walk in the Spirit.' Everything in the Christian life depends on us depending on the Holy Spirit to live the normal Christian life. If you are struggling in your prayer life, you are probably not 'consciously' depending on and 'walking' in the Spirit. We are invited to 'come boldly (not brashly) to the throne of grace that we may obtained mercy and find grace to help in the time of need' Heb 4:12. We have 'access by the Holy Spirit to the Father.' That is not just religious talk, it is the essential ingredient to coming to God in prayer and seeing answers to your prayer. " - Sumner Wemp



II. THERE IS THE MATTER OF BEING ACCESSIBLE

"YOU are an habitation of God THROUGH THE SPIRIT" [Eph 2:21, 22]

1. A Christian has been bought with a price! [I Cor. 6:20]

"Your body is a royal palace! You are the Buckingham Palace in the spiritual realm. God, the King of Kings, lives in your mortal body. Isn't that awesome! You and your body are sacred. Now doesn't that sober you and make your body and every place you go sacred?" - Sumner Wemp

It should make us want to sing, "The Lord is in His holy Temple, let all the world be silent."

2. "Glorify God in your body"

"For ye are bought with a price, (the precious blood of Christ) therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" [1 Cor. 6:20]

Glorify God through your eyes in what you see, "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes" [Psalm 101:3] "Look at the things that are eternal" [2 Cor. 4:18]

Glorify God through your ears in what you hear on radio, CD's or tapes! Mark 4:24 And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.

Glorify God through your mouth in what you say, "let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth" [Eph. 4:29] neither griping or gossiping.

3. Glorify God through your mind in what you think about

"Whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, good report, think on these things" [Phil. 4:8]

"This book (the Bible) thou shalt meditate therein day and night" Josh 1:8.

Sumner Wemp watched an hour long television program showing all that is done when her Majesty. the Queen comes to the Windsor Castle. He said, "Of course, the palace was a clean as a hounds tooth. It was spic and span, 'fit for a Queen.' Everything was done so Her majesty would be comfortable there, feel at home. How much more should our 'castle' our bodies be kept pure and in order so God will feel at home."

III. THERE IS THE MATTER OF PLEASING GOD

You can please God!


"This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased' Lk 3:22. You are His son, is He well pleased?

1. The carnal minded can't please Him

"For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace...So then they that are in the flesh cannot PLEASE GOD. But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his" Rom. 6-9.

2. They that are walking the flesh cannot please God.

One of the wonderful ministries of the Holy Spirit, as we walk in the Spirit, is to enable us to PLEASE GOD! Nothing could be finer! The man, Christ Jesus pleased God Jesus, the perfect example, PLEASED GOD

"And the Holy Ghost descended in bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice from heaven, which said, thou art my beloved Son; in thee I AM WELL PLEASED " Luke 3:22.

"And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee" Luke 4:14.

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor"...Luke 4:18.

"My meat is to do the will of Him that sent" John 4:32.

"For I do always those things that PLEASE HIM John 8:29.

3. Enoch PLEASED GOD AND SO CAN WE

"And Enoch walk with God and he was not for God took him" [Gen:5:24]
"By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found because God had translated him; for before his translation he had this testimony that he PLEASED GOD. But without faith it is impossible to PLEASE HIM." [Hebrews 11:5,6]

Do you want to please God? Deep down inside, do you want to PLEASE GOD? Jesus did it in the "power of the Holy Spirit." We too must PLEASE GOD, by the power of the Holy Spirit. YOU CAN! Are you walking in the flesh, producing the "works of the flesh" lusting for things or "walking in the Spirit" producing "the fruit of the Spirit"?

"The goal of every true disciple is to please God. The Bible is our guidebook, showing us how to do that." - Elisabeth Elliot

Know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come "For men shall be lovers of their own selves" 2 Tim 3:1, 2. "selfishness"

"Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush...Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways and see and ask for the old paths where is the good way and walk therein and ye shall find rest for your souls, but they said, We will not walk therein" [Jer 6:15, 16]

We as Christians must be ashamed of our sins, confess them, forsake them and make apologies and amends for those we have offended to please God. -Sumner Wemp

Most of this material was "borrowed" with permission from Sumner Wemp (see link in upper left corner)