Sermon Prepared by James McCullen
Email Preach Him with Dr. Jim

A Popeye or Paul New Year?
1 Cor. 15:10 and Various

Introduction
The Comic Character Popeye says with regularity "I yam what I yam and that's all that I yam". The Apostle Paul said "I am what I am by the grace of God.

In the New Year will we be more like Popeye or Paul? Will we just give a fatalistic sigh and say well I am what I am and that is all that I am? Or will we say "By the Grace of God I will become a better person?

Christians have the right to say I am human and to recognize all our human frailties. We do not have the right to say "I am only human" for we have resident in our being the Spirit of God. We are more than human we have a Divine quality about us.

It has been my desire for many years to be able to say the only way to explain that activity in my life is to say "I did it by the grace of God. It was God at work in my life".
 
 

A.    I am foremost {of all.} (NAS)

        1.    Paul Remembered His . . Opposing Life Before Christ. Acts 26:11
"And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities.

            a.    Am I a person who Remembers Life Before Christ.

        2.    Paul Remembered His . . Observation Of Christ. Acts 26:11-19
"While thus engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, 13 at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. 14 "And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' 15 "And I said, 'Who art Thou, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.

            a.    Am a person who Remembers My Observation Of Christ.

       3.    Paul Remembered His . . Obedience To Christ. Acts 26:16-19
16 'But arise, and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; 17 delivering you from the {Jewish} people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, 18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me. ' 19 "Consequently, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly (NAS)

            a.    Am I a person who Remembers My Obedience To Christ.
 

Illustration The story of Mephibosheth, 2 Sam 9:3-8
7 And David said to him, "Do not fear, for I will surely show kindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan, and will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul; and you shall eat at my table regularly." 8 Again he prostrated himself and said, "What is your servant, that you should regard a dead dog like me?"

Basically David helped Mephibosheth because of a covenant with his Father Jonathon

Application

I Yam what I yam or, I am what I am by the Grace of God. Paul could say God dealt kindly in saving me through a covenant through His Son Jesus Christ.

Paul said I am what I am by the Grace of God, I am a saved sinner.
 
 

A.    Paul was Confident In What the Lord . .Commences. Phil 1:6 a
        ". . . He who began a good work in you. . . "

B.    Paul was Confident In What the Lord . . Consummates. Phil 1:6 b
        ". . . will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. . . . "

Rom 8:38-39 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NAS)

Illustration
In the course by Henry Blackaby he tells of his 16 year old daughter being diagnosed with cancer. He called the family together, and talked to them about the goodness of God.

Today that girl is a student at Southwestern Seminary. She will go to Bosnia as a Journeyman Missionary.

Application

Paul was confident a Confident believer. He said "I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. "
 
 

A.    Paul . . Consciously Judged himself. v 4 a
        "For I am conscious of nothing against myself, . . . "

        1.    He examined himself.

Illustration
In a cartoon a little boy was placed in a corner and told he had to stay there until he thought he could be good. After a little while he came to his mom and said I don't think standing in the corner will make me gooder.

B.    Paul . . Conscientiously Judged himself. v 4 b
        ". . . yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord.

        1.    He looked for God's Examination.
        2.    Paul was motivated to ask God to search His life.

Illustration
Hey Willie would you cut off another toe for $50.00
 

Application

We need to ask God to see as He sees us.
His child or not? Obedient Child or not?

Paul said "I Don't Acquit Myself, God Is My Judge". Popeye or Paul?
 
 

Isa. 30:15     15 For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, "In repentance and rest you shall be saved, in quietness and trust is your strength." But you were not willing, (NAS)

A.    Content of Weakness . . Enduring Difficulties for Christ. 2 Cor. 12:10 a
        Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, . . . "

B.    Content of Weakness . . Enduring Strength. 2 Cor. 12:10 b
        ". . . for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. (NAS)

Illustration Copied from http://www.sermons.org/
A young man was at the end of his rope. Seeing no way out he dropped to his knees in prayer. "Lord, I can't go on," he said. "I have too heavy a cross to bear."

The Lord replied, "My son, if you can't bear its weight, just place your cross inside this room. Then open that other door and pick out any cross you wish."

The young man was filled with relief. "Thank you Lord," he sighed, and he did what he was told. Upon entering the other door, he saw many other crosses, some so large the tops weren't even visible. Then he spotted a tiny cross leaning against the far wall. "I'd like that one Lord," he whispered.

And the Lord replied, "My son, that is the cross you just brought in."

Application

The Lord knows what we can and con not bear.
 
 

1 Cor 9:19-22     19 For though I am free from all {men,} I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more. 20 And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law, though not being myself under the Law, that I might win those who are under the Law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, that I might win those who are without law.   22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some. (NAS)
 

Dr Roy Fish said at a small conference the reason we don't witness more: we are ashamed of Christ.
 

Illustration
In the early days of Wycliffe Bible translators in Mexico, Cameron Townsend, the founder, tried to get permission from the Mexican government to translate the Scriptures into the languages of the Indian tribes. But the government was adamantly opposed to it. The official to whom he had to appeal told him, "As long as I am in this office the Bible will never be translated into the Indian languages--it would only upset them."

Townsend did everything he could think of, went to every official he could find, and had all his Christian friends praying that God would open this door. But it seemed to remain totally closed.

Finally, Townsend decided to give up pressing the issue. He and his wife went to live in a little, obscure Indian village, learned the language, ministered to the people as best they could, and waited for God to move. It was not very long before Townsend noticed that the fountain in the center of the village plaza produced beautiful, clear spring water, but that it ran off down the hill and was wasted. He suggested that the Indians plant crops in an area to which the water could easily be diverted and thus make use of it. Soon they were growing twice as much food as before, and their economy blossomed as a result. The Indians were grateful. Townsend wrote this up in a little article and sent it to a Mexican paper he thought might be interested.

Unknown to him, that article found its way into the hands of the President of Mexico, Lazaro Cardenas. The President was amazed that a gringo would come to live in and help a poor Indian village where he couldn't even get many of his own people to live. The President wanted to meet Townsend, so he, his limousine, and his attendants drove to that little Indian village and parked in the plaza.

Cameron Townsend is not one to miss an opportunity. He went up to the car and introduced himself and, to his amazement, heard the President say, "You're the man I've come here to see! Tell me more about your work." When he heard what it was, he said, "Of course you can translate the Scriptures into the Indian languages." That began a friendship that continued throughout the lifetime of President Cardenas. His power and authority were used of God all those years to open doors to Wycliffe Translators throughout Mexico. Source: Michael P. Green, Illustrations for Biblical Preaching. ( Found on the net at http://fp.sedona.net/budman/index.htm#histanec)