I had the recent opportunity to preach my first sermon in Africa.
Shortly before preparing it I had listened to another sermon on this topic. It
had spoken to me at the place I was in and what I had feeling during the last
few months. I wanted to briefly cover the three points it covered in this
sermon, and this is what I constantly have to say to myself, when I’m preaching
to myself. No matter what the circumstances are at the moment, or what we see
in the future, it is important that we say these things to ourselves.
1. God
is with me.
·
After Jesus’ resurrection he met with his
disciples on top of the mountain and there he gave them the Great Commission
·
Matthew
28:20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given
to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to
the end of the age.”
2. God
is at the bottom.
·
Several events mentioned in the Bible were
mountain top experiences.
·
On Mount
Sinai, Moses was given the Ten Commandments.
·
On Mount Carmel, fire was
sent down from heaven at the request of Elijah.
·
On Mount
Horeb, Moses experienced the
burning bush.
·
On Mount
Nebo, Moses had his first view of
the Promised Land.
·
On Mount
Moriah, Abraham was provided a ram
as a sacrifice in the place of his Isaac.
·
Still it is important to know that God is not
there only when we are at the top, but at the bottom also. He is there when we
are going through the valleys in life.
·
Deuteronomy
33:27 The eternal God is your refuge, And
underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from
before you, And will say, ‘Destroy!’
3. God
has given me a measure of faith.
·
God has given each of us enough faith to get us
through anything.
·
Matthew
17:20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to
you, if you have faith as a mustard
seed, you will say to this mountain, Move from here to there,’ and it
will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”
·
With a little faith, Peter was able to walk on
water.
·
Matthew
14:31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to
him, “O you of little faith,
why did you doubt?”
·
Faith is so important it was what Jesus prayed
for when He predicted Peter’s denial.
·
Luke
22:31-32 And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you,
that he may sift you as wheat. But I
have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have
returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”
