STAND
“Be alert, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13, CSB)
“For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm, then, and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1, CSB)
“So then, my dearly loved and longed for brothers and sisters, my joy and crown, in this manner stand firm in the Lord, dear friends.” (Philippians 4:1, CSB)
“For now we live, if you stand firm in the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 3:8, CSB)
“So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold to the traditions you were taught, whether by what we said or what we wrote.” (2 Thessalonians 2:15, CSB)
“Just one thing: As citizens of heaven, live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, in one accord, contending together for the faith of the gospel,” (Philippians 1:27, CSB)
Helps & Hindrances to standing fast
The old man –
“to take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,” (Ephesians 4:22–23, CSB)
“Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator.” (Colossians 3:9–10, CSB)
“For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want.” (Galatians 5:17, CSB)
Feed the new, starve the old!
born again, a new creation.
Help – Armour
“Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel. For this I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough to speak about it as I should.” (Ephesians 6:11–20, CSB)
2 Sam 23:11-12 – Shammah defends a field of Lentils.
“After him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines had assembled in formation where there was a field full of lentils. The troops fled from the Philistines, but Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field, defended it, and struck down the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory.” (2 Samuel 23:11–12, CSB)
Hinderance – Self-dependence
Help – Sincerity/honesty
Jn 1:47 Nathaniel (no guile [12X]) Jas 5:12 (Yea be yea and nay be nay) say what you mean and mean what you say.
Hinderance – hypocrisy
Mat 6:52 Just as pride inside is seen as arrogance & self centeredness outside, so hypocrisy inside begets deception outside
Hypocrisy – an actor – what you see on the outside is not what is on the inside. Mat [15X] Lk [3X] Mk [1X] & Job [8X]
Guile, subtilty, deceit, craft – Hypocrisy in action. Hoping the outside will mislead.
to deceive by using trickery and falsehood, craft and underhanded methods, deceit, cunning, treachery.
“Gossip is saying behind their back what you would not say to their face.
Flattery is saying to their face what you would not say behind their back.”
“Anyone who will gossip to you, will gossip about you.”
Help – Unity Ps 133:1, Ephesians 4:3, 13
“making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3, CSB) Beatitudes – peacemakers
“until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.” (Ephesians 4:13, CSB)
Hinderance – Division
Mat 12:25 – & Mk 3:24; Lk 11:18;
1 Cor 1:10-13, 3:3, 11:18;
1 Cor 11:16 a lover of strife, Rom 16:17 Mark & Avoid! – divide and conquer! Paul & Barnabas Acts 15:39
– (The triangle of Lord, you & me – Bill McBride Know Him Better?) disunity leads to destruction. “Is Christ divided?” (1 Cor 1:13)
Help – Industry/Busyness
Preaching and teaching of the Christians.
“They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen him going into heaven.”” (Acts 1:11, CSB) The Church was not to be born there! Vs. 4 stay at Jerusalem
Vs. 5 baptized with Holy Spirit, Vs. 8 Receive power when upon you and you will witness.
not just looking up but looking on the fields ripe to harvest Jn 4:35
“making the most of the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:16, CSB)
“Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time.” (Colossians 4:5, CSB)
Hindrance – Idleness
““For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the workers on one denarius, he sent them into his vineyard for the day. When he went out about nine in the morning, he saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He said to them, ‘You also go into my vineyard, and I’ll give you whatever is right.’ So off they went. About noon and about three, he went out again and did the same thing. Then about five he went and found others standing around and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day doing nothing?’ “ ‘Because no one hired us,’ they said to him. “ ‘You also go into my vineyard,’ he told them.” (Matthew 20:1–7, CSB)
“Years spent in vanity & pride” are not the focus! Now that you are saved Get busy & stay busy!
Only one life, twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last!
Help – Hope
“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope:” (1 Timothy 1:1, CSB)
“in the hope of eternal life that God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.” (Titus 1:2, CSB)
“so that, having been justified by his grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:7, CSB)
“while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:13, CSB)
“And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure.” (1 John 3:3, CSB)
“We have also obtained access through him (our Lord Jesus Christ) by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:2, CSB)
Hinderance – Focus off of Hope
Help – perfect & Complete
(mature and fully assured, Rom 4:21 – fully convinced [CSB])
“Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. He is always wrestling for you in his prayers, so that you can stand mature and fully assured in everything God wills.” (Colossians 4:12, CSB)
Help – The right things in the assembly & error kept out
Prov 23:23 – Buy the truth, and sell it not
Hinderance – The wrong things in the assembly & truth abandoned
Mat 24:15 – abomination of desolation in holy place & Mk 13:14; Lk 16:15
Help – Grace
“Through Silvanus, a faithful brother (as I consider him), I have written to you briefly in order to encourage you and to testify that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it!” (1 Peter 5:12, CSB)
Hinderance – focus on works
The Goal
“But be alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place and to stand before the Son of Man.”” (Luke 21:36, CSB)
Stand: Old/New Man preparation, purpose
Matthew
Mat 12:25 – in division & Mk 3:24; Lk 11:18; 1 Cor 1:10-13, 3:3, 11:18; Rom 16:17
Mat 12:46-50 – family outside & Mk 3:31; Lk 8:20 – family not in need
Mat 20:3 – idle & Act 1:11; Eph 5:16; Col 4:5
Mat 24:15 – abomination of desolation in holy place & Mk 13:14; Lk 16:15
Prov 23:23 – Buy the truth, and sell it not
Mark
Mk 3:3 – Bring withered to the Lord & Lk 6:8
Mk 9:1 – in hope of the coming again & Lk 9:27
Ro 5:2 – stand, rejoice in hope
Luke
Lk 13:25 – You outside (gospel)
Lk 21:36 – awake, praying, before the Son of Man
Mk 11:25 – forgiving, and being forgiven
John
Jn 8:9 – as sinner before Him
Lk 18:13 – publican, standing afar off
Jn 11:42 – state reasons for onlookers – observed prayer a testimony, if not just for show.
Jn 19:26 – at the cross – change of relationships John/Mary, Repentant thief/Christ
Jn 20:14 – at the tomb – He was there, He is not there,
Acts
Ac 2:14 – to speak to the unsaved with other saints
Ac 5:20 – stand and speak… words of this life
Ac 7:55 – Stephen Jesus in heaven standing
Ac 4:10,14 – Give Him credit
Ac 14:10 – All worship to God
Ac 22:20 – Paul’s original stand & Acts 9
Ac 24:21 – Paul’s new stand
Ac 26:16 – Get going!
Romans
Ro 9:11 – standing on promise (or sitting on the premises), not works
Ro 14:4 – Judging others… weak and strong
Ro 14:10 – before judgment seat of Christ
1 Corinthians
1 Co 2:5 – Faith’s foundation… God’s power, not man’s wisdom
1 Co 15:1 – Gospel’s foundation… Scriptures Death, burial, and resurrection
1 Co 15:30 – in jeopardy every hour… shall suffer,
1 Co 16:13 – stand fast (maintain) in the faith & Gal 5:1; Php 1:27, 4:1; 1 Thes 3:8; 2 Thes 2:15
1 Co 15:58
2 Sam 23:11-12 – Shammah defends Lentils &
2 Corinthians
2 Co 1:24 – by faith ye stand
Galatians
Ga 4:20 – stand in doubt
Ephesians
Eph 6:11-14 – with armour on! Wiles & 4:14 lie in wait 2 Cor 2:11 devices
Philippians
Php 1:27 – stand fast
Colossians
Co 4:12 – perfect & Complete (mature and fully assured, Rom 4:21 – fully convinced [CSB])
James
Jas 2:3 – stand for equality
1 Peter
1 Pe 5:12 – in true grace
Revelation
Rev 3:20 – I stand and knock (gospel)