We had a great Easter worship service last week. In that service we learned from 1 Corinthians 15, that the resurrection of Jesus has been verified by eye witness testimony that no one ever refuted. This was not some kind of inflated or exaggerated view of the facts of history. Paul tells us that there were hundreds of people who saw Jesus alive after the resurrection, and any one of them could have refuted the resurrection accounts. They testify and confirm the facts given about how Jesus rose from the dead. The fact that Jesus rose from the dead means that His teachings are reliable and true. Jesus revealed that He was God and He had come to save mankind. There is so much contributing information about this topic that I highly recommend that you read The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel. In his investigation into the reliability of the accounts of the resurrection of Jesus he said...
"The Resurrection is the supreme vindication of Jesus' divine identity and his inspired teaching. It's the proof of his triumph over sin and death. It's the foreshadowing of the resurrection of his followers. It's the basis of Christian hope. It's the miracle of all miracles.", (Strobel)
"...Sir Lionel Luckhoo, the brilliant and savvy attorney whose astounding 245 consecutive murder acquittals earned him a place in The Guinness Book of World Records as the world's most successful lawyer. Knighted twice by Queen Elizabeth, this former justice and diplomat subjected the historical facts about the Resurrection to his own rigorous analysis for several years before declaring, "I say unequivocally that the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ is so overwhelming that it compels acceptance by proof which leaves absolutely no room for doubt. (Strobel)
Having established the reliability of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Paul makes an essential statement in the last verse of 1 Corinthians 15. I say essential because the content of this statement is necessary for the preservation of our personal faith.
1 Corinthians 15
[58] Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Paul gives us four important truths at the end of this resurrection passage.
This morning we want to see if we can understand and apply the words "stand firm", that Paul uses here. In other words, what does Paul mean when he tells us to "stand firm", and how do we apply that to our lives today.
This phrase was used several times in both the Old and New Testaments. I want to look at two examples of it's use in the Old testament because they will help us to understand how the word is used. Then we will look at a couple of New Testament passages that will help us to apply the phrase, "stand firm", to our daily lives.
The first passage we will look at is in the book of Exodus. To get the full force of what happened when Israel escaped from Egypt by crossing the Red Sea on dry ground, you need to read all of Exodus 14. We do not have time to read all of it this morning but it is an incredible story revealing the power of God. [...] In the midst of that story put yourself in the place of one of Israel's common people. Think about all that is going on around you. The charging Egyptian army seeks to slaughter you, your family, and all your countrymen. There is no where to run because you are backed up against the Red Sea. There are rumors and complaints coming from everyone you come in contact with. There is fear and dread in the eyes of everyone around you. Then Moses speaks...
Exodus 14:10-14 (NIV)
[10] As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD.
[11] They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?
[12] Didn't we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”
[13] Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.
[14] The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
The lesson - Stand Firm in the face of fear.
Later in Israel's history, King Jehoshaphat was king of Judah and he was one of the few kings that served God in those days. Three kingdoms gathered a massive combined army and came to conquer the land of Judah and the city of Jerusalem. King Jehoshaphat calls for the people of Judah to come together to fast and pray for God to help them. You can read about this in 2 Chronicles 20. It is a very interesting Old Testament passage. As we read a portion of this passage notice the thing that are similar between this passage and the passage in Exodus 14.
2 Chronicles 20:12, 15-17 (NIV)
[12] O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.”
[...]
[15] He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's.
[16] Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel.
[17] You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’”
The Lesson - Stand Firm in the face of overwhelming odds.
Stand firm in the face of fear. Stand firm in the face of overwhelming odds. Two very important actions that are not easily accomplished. These two O.T. passages have several things in common. First there is the impending doom of all the people. There is no human answer or possible deliverance. There is the fear and dread of the people. There is the seeking of help from God by those in leadership. Then there is the command from God which is very important for us today. We are looking at Paul's command to the Corinthian church, to stand firm. In these two Old Testament passages the command is the same, and if you look closely the very same words are used to describe the expected actions of the people who were seeking God's help in the face of adversity. The Children of Israel were to simply stand firm.
They were to stand firm but not like you might think. When we think of standing firm in times of adversity we think in terms of resistance or combat but that is not what is going on here. They were to stand firm in faith to allow God to work. In Exodus Moses tells the Children of Israel, "stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today". In 2 Chronicles the prophet Jahaziel tells king Jehoshaphat, "stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you". In both passages there is the promise of deliverance. But look carefully. This is not a promise that at the end of the day God will have helped you fight your way to victory.
This is a different kind of promise. Look it again. In Exodus Moses said, "stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. [...] The LORD will fight for you, you need only to be still." In 2 Chronicles the prophet Jahaziel said, "You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you..." Look carefully. What are the people to do? Moses said, "be still". Jahaziel said, "take up your positions". There was no command to fight. There was no formal battle plan by which they would approach the enemy to resist and fight for their lives and their land. There was only the command to stand firm and watch what God was going to do for them. This was the simple command to have faith in God in their difficult circumstances.
That is exactly what Paul wanted to get across to the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 15. Because Christ came out of the grave He has the power and authority to help us live this kind of faith. It is a faith that does not seek to fret and worry about how to live this Christian life. It is a faith that has learned to take up it's position, to stand firm, and to allow God to work in all the circumstances around us. When you look at Paul's New Testament letters, he uses the phrase, "stand firm", several times. In his use of this phrase we see the application of it to our personal lives as followers of Christ.
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (NIV)
[13] Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.
[14] Do everything in love.
Notice Paul's words here. He does not tell us to struggle or resist or fight. It is simple. Stand firm in the faith, be men of courage, be strong. Then as if to qualify what he means by being firm, courageous, and strong, Paul tells them to do everything in love.
When the enemy comes at you stand firm in faith that the God you have put your trust in, the God you have given your life over to, will fight for you. And the attitude with which you take your stand is an attitude of love. I like the movie, Fireproof. In it the husband learns to love in spite of the negative attitude that comes at him from his wife who has just become tired of the mess that their marriage has become. It does not matter what is coming at you, if you allow God to work for you, you cannot fail. The attitude with which you allow God to work is an attitude and stance of love. Things may not turn out exactly the way you expect them too but they will work out for the good because it is God working for you.
In His second letter to the Corinthian church Paul reveals the power behind the Christians ability to stand firm.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (NIV)
[21] Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us,
[22] set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
This is exactly what was happening in the Old Testament passages we looked a earlier. Just as the children of Israel were to stand firm and allow God to fight for them, so the Christian today is to stand firm and allow the power of God to work in all the circumstances
around them. What is required of the Christian? To stand firm in faith and allow God to take over. Look at the benefits of allowing God to work in our behalf.
~ We are anointed by Him
~ He sets His seal of ownership on us
~ He puts His Spirit in our hearts
~ He guarantees the outcome
Think about what that means for you and I today.
~ Anointing:
- Anointing was a mark of luxury
- Anointing was a sign of joy
- Anointing was a sign to the end of mourning
- Anointing was a symbol of prosperity
- Anointing was a symbol of God's forgiving grace
- Anointing was used to set individuals apart for special work and favor in the Kingdom of God
I could go on and on and on, but the message is the same and it is clear; to be anointed by God was and is a most cherished
possession.
~ Ownership infers protection and maintenance. How great it is to be owned by the
Creator of the universe.
~ The indwelling Spirit of God helps us if we will listen. He helps us in many ways. He guides us in the way we should go. When we follow His leading we cannot go wrong. To follow His leading is to know peace in the midst of turmoil.
~ A guaranteed outcome. Need I say more? To stand firm by faith in God
guarantees that when the battle is over, when the dust settles down all around me, I will know that it was God who fought for me. I will stand in victory. Not a victory I struggled for, but a victory that I allowed God to win for me, by surrendering my life and all of its circumstances to Him.
Look at what Paul said to the Galatian church...
Galatians 5:1 (NIV)
[1] It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
If you look at the context of this verse, Paul is warning the Galatian Christians about getting tied up in the slavery of keeping the old law. Literally he is talking about the slavery of legalism. You see legalism is the self effort of sinful individuals to try and please God in their own efforts. But the Bible is clear, to please God one must accept His free gift of love. We cannot save ourselves, we must accept God's gift of salvation which will bring us to stand firm in faith and watch Him work on our behalf in all the circumstances of life.
The last passage I want to look at is in Paul's letter to the Ephesian church. In it he tells the Ephesian Christians the manner in which they are to stand firm. You see the gift of God's salvation is free but there are responsibilities that come with the benefits of that gift.
Ephesians 6:13-18 (NIV)
[13] Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
[14] Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
[15] and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
[16] In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
[17] Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
[18] And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Paul tells the Ephesians that the manner of standing firm is not that of resistance or combat. It is a stance of faith that includes these things... When you understand that to stand firm is to stand in faith you understand that the only person that can truly stand firm is the one who has faith in God.
I often struggle with making application of God's Word in ways that identify with a congregation that has a broad spectrum of interests. I want to show you a video this morning that gives us a human physical picture of what God wants to do for us if we will, by faith, stand firm and allow Him to take control of our lives. "Together"
A boy who can't talk or walk wants to run in a race. It is impossible for him to do that on his own so his father, gets up off of the couch and takes up the task of helping his son run in a race.
An individual decides they want to walk in relationship with God but they soon find out that it is impossible to do it on their own. Then God the Heavenly Father comes along and offers to run this race. Listen to God's words to you and I today...
"Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. [...] The LORD will fight for you, you need only to be still." "You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you..."
Will you, in faith, stand firm and allow God to work in the circumstances or your life? Or will you go to the battle field on you own and find yourself crawling back at the end of the day, battered, bruised, and bleeding in defeat and humiliation? The choice is yours. Listen to the still small voice of God. He is calling you to Himself.
NIV - The Holy Bible: New International Version (NIV). Cedar Rapids: Laridian, 2003.
Strobel, Lee. The Case for Christ, (Palm Reader format). Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998.