Standing Firm and Never Backing Down

Reflections on Faith and Perseverance

• Expressing feelings of spiritual connection and gratitude.
  • Feeling good and reflecting on David’s Psalms.
  • Quoting, “I love the Lord because,” and feeling emotional every time it’s read.
  • Recalling a life-changing experience in an old building during a revival with Jeff.
    • “It was just an old building… But that building changed my life.”
  • Expressing gratitude for a unique and personal communication with God.
    • “When God talks to me, it’s different than the way I’ve been talking to him before.”
  • Acknowledging God’s ultimate sacrifice and love.
    • “He loved you enough to die for you.”

Standing Firm in Faith: A Sermon on Daniel 3

• Referencing Daniel Chapter 3, starting in verse 10.
  • King Nebuchadnezzar’s decree to worship a golden image under penalty of being cast into a fiery furnace.
  • The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who refused to worship the idol.
  • Nebuchadnezzar’s challenge: “who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?”

Prayer and Seeking Strength

• Praying for God’s presence and help.
  • Thanking God for salvation and the ability to feel His presence.
    • “Lord, I thank you for saving me, Father. Lord, I thank you for changing my life that night in Burma, Tennessee.”
  • Seeking strength and growth in faith.
    • “Lord, I pray that I can grow stronger in you, Father.”
  • Expressing gratitude for God’s love, even for those who don’t reciprocate.
    • “Lord, I thank you, Lord, that you put a love in my heart… for those that don’t love me back, Father.”
  • Desiring to dedicate every breath to worshiping God.
    • “Lord, I want to spend every last breath that I’ve got, Father… worshiping you.”

The Leper King and Standing Firm

• Discussing the importance of standing firm in faith and not backing down.
• Sharing the story of a leper king in Jerusalem who became king at 13.
  • At 16, he was battling leprosy and could not move his right arm.
  • Facing an army of Muslims (23,000 men) with only 5,000 men.
  • The king’s prayer for deliverance and subsequent victory.
    • “We’re outnumbered tremendously. We have no men. But… I know one man who can deliver us.”
• Drawing parallels to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who didn’t bow down.
• Emphasizing the need for Christians to not give in to the world.
• Expressing admiration for brave and bold individuals.
• Pledging to pray for strength to stand strong for what is right.
  • “As long as I’m living and breathing… I’m going to get on my knees… Help me stand strong for what’s right.”

Addressing Worldliness and Prioritizing God

• Observing people giving in to sin and worldliness.
  • Church members prioritizing worldly activities over spiritual ones.
    • “Their bass boats is out on the lake on a Sunday. They’re hunting on a Sunday.”
  • Questioning why God isn’t blessing them.
• Promising that God will help those who prioritize Him.
  • Referencing the leper king and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as examples.
• Addressing the men in the congregation.
  • Stating that men should lead their families in a Godly way.
  • Lamenting that men have given up on God, leading to negative consequences for their families.
    • “Their families is dying and going to hell. It breaks my heart.”

Encounter on the Dragon

• Sharing a personal experience of encountering someone in need of spiritual guidance.
• Feeling divinely prompted to speak to someone broken down on a motorcycle on “the Dragon” (a road).
  • Initially hesitant due to being late for church.
  • Engaging in a conversation about Jesus Christ and being born again.
  • Weeping and sharing personal testimony.
• Warning the young man about the dangers of dying without salvation.
  • “If you die on this dragon, you’ll die and go to hell.”
• Praying with the young man, who ultimately declined to be saved at that moment.
• Believing that God directed the encounter because the young man was in danger.
  • “He wasn’t going to make it all the way to the lake.”
• Expressing concern for the young man’s salvation.
  • “Lord, please don’t let him die. Let him get saved.”

The Importance of Personal Application and Prayer

• Emphasizing the need for Christians to pray and not give in to sin.
• Highlighting the vulnerability of teenagers and the urgency of serving God.
  • “These people, these teenagers, they’re dying every day. They’re giving in to things and they’re dying.”
• Sharing a personal commitment to preaching and helping others find salvation.
  • “If one person gets saved, it will be worth every minute.”
• Applying the message to personal life.
  • Recognizing the need for more prayer and seeking God’s strength.
    • “I need to get on my knees more. I need to hit my knees more.”
• Expressing gratitude for God’s presence in battles.
  • “Ain’t you glad when you face a battle? God is right there.”

Resisting Worldly Temptations

• Cautioning against giving in to alcohol and other worldly temptations.
• Sharing the story of a best friend who initially embraced Christianity but later succumbed to alcohol.
  • The friend’s initial transformation and subsequent relapse.
  • Offering the friend a home and encouragement to fight against temptation.
  • Lamenting the friend’s decision to return to the world.
• Reiterating that sin will take individuals as far as they are willing to go.
• Sharing personal experiences of overcoming sinful desires through God’s grace.
  • “When God changed my life, He took that from me… I never wanted to go back to sin.”
• Encouraging listeners to give their problems to God instead of the world.
  • “Don’t give in. Keep fighting. It’s not going to be easy.”

God’s Unwavering Presence

• Emphasizing God’s constant presence and support.
  • “Every step that we take, God’s with us.”
  • Acknowledging that human relationships may fail, but God’s promise remains.
    • “Your mom and dad may not be there for you… but God promised that He’d be there every step of the way.”
• Expressing a personal connection with God.
  • “I’ve never went over there and seen the empty tomb… But I can feel Him.”

The Folded Handkerchief

• Explaining the Jewish custom of folding or crumpling a handkerchief after a meal.
  • Folding indicated a return, while crumpling signified the end.
• Interpreting the folded handkerchief in the Bible as a sign of Jesus’ return.
  • “He folded them in two… He’s coming back.”
• Expressing humility and a desire to serve God.
  • “All I’ve tried to do, I’ve tried to stand behind the pulpit and preach the word of God the best I know how, but I still let him down.”
• Acknowledging human fallibility but affirming God’s unwavering support.
  • “My daddy’s let me down… But God will never let us down.”

The Prodigal Sheep and Saul’s Transformation

• Reflecting on personal experiences of straying from faith and being found by God.
  • “I was one of them sheep that went astray… God went looking for me when I wasn’t looking for Him.”
• Drawing a parallel to Paul’s (Saul’s) conversion on the Damascus Road.
  • Saul’s initial persecution of the church and subsequent encounter with Jesus.
  • Highlighting that God can find individuals even when they are not seeking Him.
    • “Paul wasn’t looking for Jesus Christ. But the Lord was looking for him.”
• Sharing a personal testimony of being transformed by the Word of God.
  • “I wasn’t looking for the Lord… But I thank you for preaching the word of God that night.”
• Expressing gratitude for preachers who stand firm in their faith.
  • “He didn’t give in to sin… He gave more to God and he stood strong with the Lord.”

The Power of Preaching and Personal Conviction

• Recalling a specific sermon about Judas and its impact.
  • “Judas kissed the doorstep of heaven and died and went to hell.”
  • Feeling a deep sense of conviction and a realization of personal shortcomings.
    • “I began to feel my heart just crushed and break.”
• Describing the experience of feeling the Lord knocking on the heart.
  • “He said, you better go.”
• Overcoming personal reservations and surrendering to God.
  • “I said, Lord, I can’t go… God said, if you’ll just come to me, I’ll take it from you.”
• Emphasizing the transformative power of accepting God.
  • “He took out the old helmet and put in a new. And I never went the same.”
• Reaffirming a commitment to never give in and to rely on God’s help.
  • “Lord, I said, I’ll never give in again.”

The World’s Need for Truth

• Highlighting the world’s reliance on Christians and their actions.
  • “They’re still counting on us… They’re looking at every step that you take.”
• Sharing a story about a preacher father who stood firm on his beliefs.
  • Encountering a man who tested his commitment to preaching against alcohol.
  • The man’s revelation that he was seeking authenticity.
    • “I was just making sure that you was the real thing.”
• Emphasizing that people need to hear the truth and have it applied to their lives.
  • “They want to hear the truth. They need it applied in their life.”
• Expressing love and concern for the listeners’ salvation.
  • “I’m preaching because I love you… I don’t want you to die and go to hell.”

The Consequences of Giving In

• Warning against the consequences of giving in to sin.
  • Changes in speech and behavior.
    • “When you give in to sin, your mouth starts to change… You begin to say things that you would not say.”
  • Falling back into worldly habits.
    • “It’s easy to start falling back out into the world.”
• Addressing the issue of hatred and bitterness.
  • Emphasizing the importance of loving even those who have wronged you.
    • “No matter what somebody’s done to you, you’re in the wrong if you have hatred in your heart.”
  • Acknowledging the difficulty but stressing the necessity of love.
    • “It’s not easy to love them, but we’ve got to love them.”
• Encouraging listeners to seek God’s help in purifying their hearts.
  • “God, take my heart and purify it. Help me love that person.”

Identifying Forms of Giving In

• Identifying various forms of giving in to sin.
  • Alcohol, drugs, neglecting the Bible, excessive social media, prioritizing jobs over faith.
    • “It’s alcohol. It’s drugs. Then it’s that thing about picking up your Bible… social media… television… their jobs.”
• Emphasizing the importance of a personal relationship with the Lord.
  • “You’ve got to have a relationship with the Lord.”
• Sharing a story about a father who wasn’t listening.
  • Highlighting the need to both listen to and talk to God.
    • “We’ve got to listen for God, but we also got to talk to God.”
• Encouraging listeners to open and read the Bible for themselves.
  • “You have to open the Word of God and read it for yourself.”

The Power of Prayer

• Highlighting the importance of prayer.
  • “Prayer is important. Prayer is what I believe is raised by God. It didn’t come back.”
• Sharing an experience with a 90-year-old woman whose prayers had a lasting impact.
  • “I’ve prayed many, many years for you… Them prayers are still living on.”
• Encouraging listeners to pray like they ought to and to cultivate a relationship with God.
  • “We need to start praying like we ought to.”
• Finding a personal space for prayer.
  • “Find you a place where it’s just you and God.”
• Sharing personal prayer habits.
  • Praying in the church, in the mountains, and in a “war room” (closet).
    • “I like to go to my church sometimes… I like to go on the mountains and pray… Then I’ve got my war room.”
• Finding encouragement and reassurance in answered prayers.
  • “God said, I just want you to look at all them prayers that you pray. I answered.”
• Reaffirming a commitment to keep fighting and not give up.
  • “I ain’t giving up. I’m just going to keep on fighting.”

Looking Above the Problem

• Sharing a conversation with Dad about David and Goliath.
• Emphasizing the importance of looking to God rather than focusing on problems.
  • “We sit there and we stare at the problem… But we don’t look above for the one that can have it.”
• Sharing the story of a man named Randy who lost his daughter to a drug overdose.
  • Randy’s initial reliance on friends and subsequent discovery of God’s help.
  • Finding solace and guidance in nature and prayer.
    • “God told me to just talk over the hill there.”
• Reiterating that God will help those who give Him their lives.
  • “God will be our help tonight if we just give him.”

Psalms 116 and Loving the Lord

• Reading from Psalms 116.
  • Expressing love for the Lord because He hears prayers.
    • “I love the Lord because He hath heard my voice and my supplication.”
  • Highlighting God’s graciousness, righteousness, and mercy.
    • “Gracious is the Lord and righteous. Yea, our God is merciful.”
  • Acknowledging God’s help in times of trouble.
    • “I was brought low and He helped me.”
• Distinguishing between loving something and being in love with something.
  • “There’s a difference in loving something than being in love.”
• Expressing being in love with the Lord and unable to go a day without Him.
  • “I’m in love with the Lord. I can’t go a day without Him.”
• Encouraging listeners to get in love with the Lord.
  • “We’ve got to get in love with the Lord if we want to get anything done.”
• Acknowledging that the closer one gets to the Lord, the harder it may become.
  • “The more that we love the Lord, the harder it gets for us a lot of times.”
• Encouraging perseverance and the promise of rest in heaven.
  • “Just keep on plowing. Keep on going. We’re going to get to heaven someday where we can rest.”

Standing Together in Faith

• Reaffirming a personal commitment to not give in.
  • “I ain’t giving in, Tommy. I don’t want to give in. I’m too blessed. I’m too happy.”
• Acknowledging the challenges of living a Christian life.
  • “It’s hard a lot of times not to give in to a lot of things.”
• Expressing a willingness to fight alongside others in faith.
  • “I believe Jeff Hummer’s going to grab on to me and we’re going to fight together.”
• Encouraging listeners to come forward and seek God’s help.
  • “You ought to come tonight. Say, God, Lord, please don’t let me give in.”
• Highlighting the need for strength in challenging times.
  • “Times are getting weaker. Times are getting tougher. We need the Lord.”
• Inviting listeners to reflect on why they love the Lord.
  • “Why do you love the Lord tonight? Are you in love with Him?”
• Sharing personal reasons for loving the Lord.
  • Salvation, peace, and the casting of cares upon Him.
    • “He saves me… gives me peace… cast all your cares upon Him.”
• Encouraging listeners to give their problems to God.
  • “Give it to God. He said, cast upon Him.”
• Urging listeners to not hold back and to spend their time for the Lord.
  • “Let’s not hold back. Satan’s got you wrapped up tonight. God can set you free tonight if you’ll just let him.”