WALKING WITH GOD BY AGREEMENT

March 25, 2007 pm
Mike Blume




  Scripture Text:

Rom 6:3-5 KJV  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?  (4)  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.  (5)  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

Rom 8:17 KJV  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

1Co 3:9 KJV  For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

2Co 6:1 KJV  We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

2Co 6:14 KJV  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

Eph 2:5 KJV  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

Col 2:13 KJV  And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

Amo 3:3 KJV  Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

  Message:

 
The New Testament teaches we have been given a standing in Christ due to our salvation.
  • And this standing is not something in which we experience anything at first.
  • A standing is just that -- a standing.
  • It's a new position.
  • Positions are not talking about Behaviour.
  • But behaviour is affected by positions.

Our standing in Christ is related to us in teachings from the Bible taht are not physically seen.
  • The greatest things are not physically seen.
  • The greatest activity of the work of the cross was not what was seen physically on earth.
  • They saw Jesus suffer and die.
  • But the greatest events that occurred were not seen by mortal men in the earth that day.
  • Behind the physical scenes of the earth, the Lord ascended into Heaven abd made atonement for our salvation.
  • The death only allowed for the goal to be achieved.
  • Atonement for our souls.
  • Jesus actually went into Heaven and presented Himself as having died and come to life again.
  • And God considered that death to count as our deaths in order for us to be freed from the dictates and power of sin.

There is a weight behind us now that did not exist before our salvation.
  • It reminds us of an orphan who is adopted into a rich and powerful family.

Rom 8:15 KJV  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Upon such a change in the boy's life, he feels the same and thinks the same and sees nothing different as far as his actions are concerned.
  • He is informed, though, that he now possesses a name that possesses power and influence.
  • As he learns and grows, he becomes more aware of his new life and state.
  • There are things true about him now that were never true about him before.
  • He is only TOLD these things so far, but they are altogether true.

What such a man never saw in activity, but only in spoken word begins to be seen.
  • HAD HE WALKED INTO A BANKING INSTITUTION BEFORE HIS ADOPTION, he would have been ignored.
  • But should he walk into a bank now, and present his identity, he would find his name causes quite a difference amongst the bankers.
  • His name on paper meant nothing beforehand, but now means hundreds of thousands of dollars.
  • And all of that money means influence and power.

He may have hesitated about making such an attempt in a bank, due to having been conditioned to think lowly of himself as useless and powerless.
  • But upon making an attempt and acting upon what he was taught, he finds that the theories he was given were altogether true!
  • His name really does have power behind it now.

Until such a person actually makes steps to act upon what he has been taught about himself, he will never know.
  • This is much the way it is with believers who have taken upon themselves the name of Jesus Christ.

Eph 3:14-15 KJV  For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,  (15)  Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

We must believe in his words about us to the extent that we act upon them.

We are WITH Christ in many places of position.

Cruficified, Buried, Risen and Seated with Him.

These things mean we have power.
  • You do not have to do anything physically to say you have these positions.
  • None of these things are active things.
  • They are standings and positions.
  • We can have all these positions intact and in place, and they are very real.
  • They're the reasons we can say we have power with God.
  • We have power to act and operate in the supernatural.
  • We can do great things.
  • We can affect great works for God.

But there is something else WITH Christ that goes beyond a positional issue.
  • We can contrast it with standing by saying there is first a STANDING and then a WALKING.

Standing refers to things that are true about you even if you DO NOTHING.
  • Standing is inactivity.
  • It is a place where you are even if you are not doing anything, so it is STANDING.
  • But WALKING is when you do something about what you are.
  • Walking is acting upon your position.
  • Waking is using the power you have been given.

Those who stand alone commit no activity.
  • They must move from standing to walking.
  • Take a person who stands  in power have him walk in power and you will see some powerful activity occur.

Although we've been crucified, buried, risen and seated with Him, we are intended to WALK WITH HIM IN POWER.

Many people genuinely have the position, but never act upon it because in reality they do not fully AGREE with the fact that their position is true and is real.
  • It sounds too good to be true to them.
  • Speaking of such a position can even be a game to them.
  • It's not real enough for them to do something based upon it, that could never be done unless their position actually was true.

For this reason many people never make a public stand for their faith.
  • They keep it quiet and do not share it with others, because they do not believe it is true to the extent that they speak of it and act like it and are proud of it.
  • It's a game to them.

Lack of belief in these things to the point of refusing to stand up and speak about it, or act upon it and pray for miracles, etc., is actually due to LACK OF AGREEMENT WITH WHAT GOD SAID ABOUT US.

If we really agreed with what the bible says about us, and we are truly saved from hell and our souls shall live for eternity in unimaginable glorious experiences throughout forever, and that unless people genuinely get hold of this salvation they will miss everything there is about God, we would not only refuse to be quiet about it, and boldly and confidently tell folks about it, but also ACT UPON IT.
  • We wil actyually make steps to enjoy victory over sin and the devil.
  • We will speak to the devil and command him to be bound and run him off from our situations.
  • We will approach people and lay hands on themn and command sickness to flee.
  • We will face complicated and undesirable situations and believe God's power is on us to overcome them, when we woudl never deal with them before.

We must AGREE with what God's word says about us.
  • God looks at us as more powerful than sin and satan.
  • Whatever we fully believe in the Bible is what we can say we fully agree with God about.
  • His way is the right way.
  • And what He says is true, while anything else is a lie.
  • Hence, we can say...

....while we may stand with Christ in being crucified, buried, resurrected and seated wiuth Him, ....

Amo 3:3 KJV  Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

In order to WALK with Him we must AGREE WITH HIM!

To go beyond position and get into activity and action and so on, we must start WALKING WITH HIM.

Once you die, get buried and resurrect to sit with Him in heavenly places, you need to start WALKING WITH HIM.

We need to go beyond position alone, and get into walking.

But we have to agree with what His word says about it.
  • Those who do not walk this out in their lives are actually not fully agreeing these things are true.
  • People do things about what they actually believe.
  • So if we are failing these areas, there can be only one reason.... we are not agreeing with them.
  • There is some doubt in our minds about how true these facts are.
  • We depend so much upon physical senses, thaty it is quite hard to really live by what we believe, and yet do not see.

2Co 5:7 KJV  (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

Joh 20:29 KJV  Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

Someone once told me they woudl beleive we can have power over sin and get victgory over fleshly attitudes and losing our tempers when they see me doing it.

Joh 4:48 KJV  Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.

The bible says ...

Rom 6:12 KJV  Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

Rom 6:14 KJV  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Rom 8:11-12 KJV  But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.  (12)  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

Why do we have to see proof for what God's word says is true, if we call ourselves Christians?

If we saw a miracle in this house that was visible and genuine and altogether supernatural, we would get so excited and act so differently and be willing to tell anyone about the truth.
  • This means that we really do not believe in it.
  • This happens to us all since we are flesh as well as spirit, but If we truly believed in it, we woudl act no more excitedly whether we saw such a miracle or not.
  • But seeing affects us more than simply hearing the Word tell us about it.
  • But Jesus still said there is a blessing for those who have not seen and yet believe.

We say we believe, but we do not believe as much as we woudl if we actually saw it, becuase we'd be more excited to see it than we are not seeing it but stil believing in it.

Having the power is standing WITH HIM.

Using the power is WALKING WITH HIM.

As far as God sees it, and is concerned, we have the power.
  • We're dead to sin.
  • Romans 6 said that we are crucified with Christ and then says he that is dead is freed from sin.
  • It is trying to tell us we're freed from sin.
  • We must agree with what God says.

2Co 6:1 KJV  We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

Paul said we WORK TOGETHER WITH HIM.
  • Without Him we can do nothing.

Joh 15:5 KJV  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

He is the source as the vine is for the branch to bear fruit.

WE MUST AGREE WITH WHAT GOD SAYS SO WE CAN WALK WITH HIM AND WORK WITH HIM.

Walking in agreement has to do with all sorts of various unities.
  • A common one we think of is marriage.
  • The best situation for a marriage is that Christians should not marry sinners.


1Co 7:39 KJV  The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.

2Co 6:14-16 KJV  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?  (15)  And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?  (16)  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Deu 7:3 KJV  Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.

And Christ is called a husband to the church his bride.

Eph 5:23 KJV  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

And when Amos said that two cannot walk together lest they be agreed, we understand that things wil not work in the marriage of a husband and wife who do NOT AGREE.
  • What Christ wants His bride to do and accomplish in this world is save souls and perfoprm signs and wonders and experience victory over sin, satan and the world.
  • And THIS WORK CANNOT OCCUR UNLESS WE AGREE WITH HIM.

We have to truly agree we are dead to sin and alive to God in order to be used of God.

Rom 6:13 KJV  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

You are not going to yield yourselves alive unto God if you do not think you died to sin and were made alive to God.
  • Yielding yourself to God in this case is stepping out in faith and believing for God to use you.
  • It is manifesting confidence in what the word said where you do more than ponder the statement that you are dead to sin and alive to God to walk in newness of life.
  • It is DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
  • Present yourself and THEN EXPECT SOMETHING TO HAPPEN AS A RESULT.

We could not die to sin and resurrect to newness of life on our own.
  • It's a JOINT EFFORT.

And Christ would never have died as us if we were never actually able to die with Him.
  • Neither can we WALK in power unless we WALK TOGETHER WITH HIM.
  • And that means we must AGREE TOGETHER WITH HIM.

His power must be channeled through a church in this world.
  • But He can only work with us if we agree with Him.

Num 14:30-34 KJV  Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.  (31)  But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised.  (32)  But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness.  (33)  And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.  (34)  After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.

Israel refused to enter Canaan because they feared for their lives.

After israel heard the word from God, they changed their minds and decided to enter the land.

Num 14:40 KJV  And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the LORD hath promised: for we have sinned.

But the fact is that they stil feared for their lives in another sense.
  • They did not want to die in the wilderness.

In both cases THEY WERE NOT WITH GOD and GOD WAS THEREFORE NOT WITH THEM.

Num 14:41-45 KJV  And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the LORD? but it shall not prosper.  (42)  Go not up, for the LORD is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies.  (43)  For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from the LORD, therefore the LORD will not be with you.  (44)  But they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, departed not out of the camp.  (45)  Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even unto Hormah.

God needs your faith to use you and work with you.