Standing & Falling
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Key Scripture: Proverbs 24:16 For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.
I. Acts 13:49 - 14:28
A. Some won’t stand for anything but find it easy to stand against many things
1. Devout and honorable women
2. Chief men of Iconium
3. The Religious Jews of Paul’s Day
4. Many today seem to be more passionate and committed to what they are against than to what they are for
5. Even some preachers, churches and denominations teach more about what they do not believe and what they stand against, than what they do believe and stand for.
6. Just the common people of the day who stoned Paul in Lystra
B. Others stand and fall and find grace to stand again.
1. David, Jacob, Ester, Samson, Bathsheba, Peter
A. Denied the Lord 3 times, once with cursing
B. Was recovered and sent to preach the gospel
2. Just the common people in Lystra who:
A. first believe that Paul & Barnabas are gods deserving of worship
B. next they stone Paul and drag him out of the city for dead
C. then allow him to preach at least twice more in the city
C. Still others seem to stand and just keep standing, even after being knocked down time and again.
1. Ruth, Naomi, Job, Joseph or Paul:
2. Joseph went from a pit to a prison to a palace
3. Daniel stuck to his convictions even when faced with buffeting
4. Job, regardless of the afflictions, kept his stance with God
Note: Our hope is that we fall not, but if we have fallen, then our hope is to stand and not fall again.
Question: What makes one stand when others fall?
* We are all men of like passions
* We all go through pressures and afflictions of life
* What makes some stand so heroically?
* What makes the difference?
III. The Things People Fall For
A. Fear
1. King Saul was afraid of being alone
2. Jacob was afraid of being poor
3. King Ahab was afraid of Jezebel, and so was Elijah
4. Peter was afraid of dying
B. Lust
1. David lusted after Bathsheba
2. Judas after the treasury of Jesus & the 30 shekels of silver
3. Simon the sorcerer lusted after the power of God
4. King Herod lusted after the praises of the people
5. The mother of James & John after positions for her sons
C. Anger
1. Moses got angry with the congregation and sinned against God
2. Elijah’s anger skewed his perception of reality (7000 not 1)
3. Peter slashed off the ear of one coming to arrest Jesus
IV. The Reasons Some Stand
A. Focus
1. Vision
2. Purpose
3. Not on people and process
Note: People and process can change, vision and purpose remain the same.
B. Commitment
1. To God, not to a man, a marriage or a mission
2. Until Death
3. Regardless of cost
4. Anything less will fail
C. Sanity
1. Live a loving, compassionate and merciful Christ-centered message
2. Joseph, Job, Ruth, Daniel, Naomi and Paul all:
A. Served a real God, with real help, for real people in real life
B. They were kind and caring, serving and giving
C. They weren’t demanding pre-Madonna’s
D. They weren’t so spiritually minded that they were no earthly good.
3. Paul taught:
A. Acts 14:15 And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:
B. Acts 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
4. Paul Was Not Afraid To Be Weak or Real
A. 1Corinthians 11:24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.
32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:
33 And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.
B. 1 ¶ It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
5 Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities.
6 For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
VI. Conclusion
A. Do Not Base Your Decisions On
1. Fear
2. Lust
3. Anger
B. Rather
1. Focus on the vision and purpose of God for your life
2. Make your life commitments to God
3. Live as a sane Christian witness
A. we are all subject to the same passions & pressures
B. let’s not fall again
