What are you excited about today? The Bible uses the terms “stir or stirred up”. To be stirred up is not to be apathetic or indifferent or lukewarm. It means to be involved, emotional and zealous. Obviously, we can be stirred up about things in a bad way or in a good way. I Kings 21:25, “But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.” The wickedness was already in the heart of Ahab, but his wife certainly “stirred the pot”.

“Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.” Proverbs 10:12. “A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.” Proverbs 15;18. “He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat.” Proverbs 28:25. “An angry man stirreth up strife…” Proverbs 29:22.

Don’t let the devil stir you up. Let God stir you up!

It should be easy for a Christian to be stirred up about the things of God. Easter is right around the corner. When we realize the value, the privilege and the benefit of all that Christ has done for us we should “…lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.” II Corinthians 5:14-15, “The love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” Galatians 4:18 states, “But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing,…”

None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.

Remember, it is hard to steer a parked car.

The biggest problem is not to add years to your life—but life to your years.

The fire of God in your heart will melt the lead in your feet.

BUT CATCHY LITTLE STATEMENTS WILL NOT GIVE YOU ZEAL!

“Zeal is the heat or tension of the affections; it is a holy warmth, whereby our love is drawn out to the utmost for God, and His glory.” George Swinnock.

“If it be true zeal, then tract of time, multitude of discouragements, falseness of those deserting the cause, strength of oppositions, will not tire out a man’s spiritual strength. Zeal makes men resolute, difficulties are but whetstones to their fortitude and steels men’s spirits with an undaunted resolution.” Abraham Wright.

“Oh, what a benefit to be eaten up with the love and zeal of a good thing!” Richard Greenham.

Few things can stir the heart and soul like singing out a familiar hymn with other believers. While there are many great worship songs written in the past several decades, the church has a rich tradition of singing hymns that should be preserved for future generations.

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing, Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest praise.

Teach me some melodious sonnet, Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it, Mount of Thy redeeming love.

What is God doing in your life? The question is asked today, not to make you question God, but to make you recognize God. Someone said, “It is alright to ask God questions, but it is not alright to question God.” Most people think they know what the Devil is doing, but few recognize what the Lord is doing. In Mark chapter 7 and verse 37, we find the words, “He hath done all things well.” Job 9:12 states, “…who will say unto him, What doest thou?” Ecclesiastes 8:4, “…who may say unto him, What doest thou?” Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” But listen to the rebellious heart. Ezekiel 12:9, “…the rebellious house, said unto thee, What doest thou?” It’s pretty bold to say to God, “What doest thou?” Genesis 18:25, “…shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” There is no unrighteousness in God…no inequity.

What is God doing in your life? As Christians, we know what He has done. He has forgiven us and given us a home in Heaven because we have received Jesus as our Savior. But what is doing now in our lives?

Is he chastening us to produce peaceable fruit? Hebrews 12:5-11. Is He purging us to produce purity of heart? Job 23:10. Is He blessing us with His goodness to produce repentance? Romans 2:4. Is He humbling us that we may be a blessing to others? Galatians 6:1.

Jeremiah 18:4, “And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.” Romans 9:20-21, “Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus” “Hath not the potter power over the clay.”

II Timothy 2:21, “If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.”

Donald Grey Barnhouse wrote, “I have been reading the great passages in Isaiah and Jeremiah that have to do with the Potter’s visit to the house of a potter, and the illustrations that grew out of that craft. Isaiah 64:8; Jeremiah 18:3-6. One day I asked a

Potter what determined his choice as to what he should make. I saw him make tableware, then kitchenware, even spittoons. He said he got the feel of it as he began to work. When he was rested he made beautiful things; when he was tired, he would slap the clay on the wheel and turn out ordinary vessels that sold in the market for menial uses. I asked him to make a menial vessel, and he tossed one off in a moment. I then asked him to make me a vase, and with great care and love he made a vessel of beauty. He began again and speedily there arose before my eyes a vase. While the clay was still wet and whirling, he struck it from above with a heavy sweep of his hand and crushed it to a lump and speedily ran up the form of another vessel. Moment after moment I watched various forms succeed each other, all according to his desire, and all from the same lump of clay. A deft touch and a bowl appeared – a plate, a cup, a dish. He was absolute master of his clay.”

WHAT IS GOD DOING IN YOUR LIFE?

To the Potter’s house I went down one day,
And watched Him while moulding the vessels of clay,
And many a wonderful lesson I drew,
As I noted the process the clay went thro’

Trampled and broken, downtrodden and rolled,
To render more plastic and fit for the mould,
How like the clay that is human, I thought,
When in Heavenly hands to perfection brought,

For self must be cast as the dust at His feet,
Before it is ready for service made meet.
And pride must be broken, and self-will lost –
All laid on the altar, whatever the cost;

But lo! By and by, a delicate vase
Of wonderful beauty and exquisite grace.
Was it once the vile clay? Ah, yes; yet how strange,
The Potter has wrought so marvelous a change!

n Hebrews 13:9 we are instructed not to be “carried about with divers and strange doctrines.” Doctrine is defined as teachings, instruction, principles or precepts. Titus 2:1 states, “But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:” Strange Doctrine is contrary to Sound Doctrine. Chafer wrote, “It is a short step indeed from the ignorance of doctrine, to rejection and ridicule of it.” Psychology is the study of mind and behavior. Sociology is the study of the development, structure, interaction, behavior, of social relationships and society. Philosophy is a love of wisdom, the most basic beliefs, concepts or attitudes of an individual or group. Theology is the study of God and God’s relation to the world. Colossians 2:8, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” I Corinthians 3:19, “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.” Beware of “doctrines of men” Colossians 2:22. Beware of “doctrines of devils” I Timothy 4:1. I am giving and will continue to give you many Bible references today because this is where true doctrine is found. It is important that we know and understand where to find the truth about God, about eternity, about salvation. This will keep us from being deceived by false doctrine and help us to guide those that are ignorant of true doctrine.

Ephesians 4:14, “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive:” Titus 1:9, “Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.” A gainsayer is one who contradicts or denies…an opposer. False doctrine will spoil you – Colossians 2:8. False doctrine will seduce you – I Timothy 4:1. False doctrine will separate you – I John 1:9.

In Isaiah 55:9 God says “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Mortimer Adler wrote, “The Trinity, the Incarnation and the Resurrection: your faith and my faith must include these three mysteries. They are difficult to understand. They are not unintelligible – God understands them. But for us there is an element of mystery. The greatest error anyone can make is to think they can fully understand these three mysteries. It makes a mockery of faith.” I Timothy 3:16, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

What are we to do when man’s doctrine disagrees with God’s doctrine? Romans 3:4, “…yea, let God be true, but every man a liar,…” There are vast differences between creation and evolution, the One True God and a higher power, eternity with or without God after death or reincarnation, forgiveness by accepting Jesus Christ as Savior or good works outweighing bad works. Acts 4:12, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” The scriptures warn us in II John 1:10, “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:” Verse 7 states, “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.” Let God be true!

Isaiah 5:20 states, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” What is good and what is evil? Good question. It is important to have Biblical answers, but many times we don’t even know the questions! Think of all the songs that we sing in church that ask us a question: “Is thy heart right with God?” “Is your all on the altar?” “Do you know my Jesus?” “Are you washed in the blood?” Questions cause us to think of a response, to search our hearts. Think of all the questions that are asked in our homes among our family members. Mom and Dad ask their children, “Why did you do that?” “What were you thinking?” A Husband asks his Wife, “Why did you spend so much money on foolish things like clothes and food and not important things like hunting equipment?” A Wife asks her Husband, “You promised to fix that a month ago, why haven’t you done it yet?” Ha. Ever get tired of people asking you questions?

God asks a lot of questions to challenge us to think, but He has all the answers. Isaiah 6:8, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Jonah 4:9, “Doest thou well to be angry?” Genesis 4:6, “Why is thy countenance fallen?” Jeremiah 32:26, “I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is there anything too hard for me?” Job 38:2, “Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?” Psalms 42:11, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”

Questions are really important if they come from God. The answers are even more important if they come from God. This is the time to search our own hearts. Do we really know God? Do we believe His answers are relative and true? Do we love Him enough to obey and follow Him? Do we trust His Word? I Corinthians 11:28 states, “But let a man examine himself.” II Corinthians 13:5, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.” Lamentations 3:40, “Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.” Thomas Watson wrote, “External acts of religion are easy to be done; to life up the eye to heaven, to bow the knee, to read a prayer, this requires very little effort; but to examine a man’s self to take the heart all in pieces as a watch, and see what is defective. This is not easy. Reflective acts are the hardest. The eye can see everything but itself. It is easy to spy the faults of others, but hard to find out our own.”

Am I a soldier of the Cross—A follower of the Lamb?
And shall I fear to own His cause, Or blush to speak His name?

Must I be carried to the skies On flowery beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize  And sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face?  Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace, To help me on to God?

Since I must fight if I would reign, Increase my courage, Lord!
I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain, Supported by Thy Word.

Psalm 56:9 states “…this I know, for God is for me.” That is a wonderful truth and promise to know! “If God be for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31. Baxter wrote in his book “The Saint’s Everlasting Rest”, “What should stop me or intimidate me? Is God with me or against me in the work? Will Christ stand by me, or will He not? If God and Christ be for me who can be against me? In the work of sin, almost all things are ready to help us, and only God and His servants are against us; yet how ill does that work prosper in our hands! But in my course to Heaven, almost all things are against me, but God is for me; and therefore how happily does the work succeed! Do I enter upon this work in my own strength, or rather in the strength of Christ my Lord? And cannot I do all things through Him that strengthens me? Is anything too hard for Omnipotence? GOD IS FOR US!

Let me give you just a few of the promises of this truth in the Scriptures:

Psalm 126:3, “The LORD hath done great things for us:”

Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

II Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

I John 3:16, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us:”

PSALM 56:9, “THIS I KNOW, FOR GOD IS FOR ME!”

God is the Creator. He is also the Savior. The One who had the power of creation also has the power of recreation. The Psalmist said concerning this, “this I know.” I John 5:11-13, “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the son of God hath not life.” “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”

II Corinthians 5:14, “And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. We, as Christians, should live for the One who died for us!

MY LIFE, MY LOVE, I GIVE TO THEE.

My life, my love, I give to Thee, Thou Lamb of God who died for me;
Oh, may I ever faithful be,   My Savior and my God!

O Thou who died on Calvary, To save my soul and make me free,
That I may ever live for Thee   My Savior and my God!

I’ll live for Him who died for me, How happy then my life shall be!
I’ll live for Him who died for me, My Savior and my God!

HE IS WORTHY.