Standing Alone in Faith

The Question of Eternity

I want to ask you something: Where will you be tomorrow? And more importantly, where will you be in the year 2123, in the month of September, on the 29th, at a time like this?

When we think about this deeply, it changes our perspective on life. It helps us become intentional about everything we do, because the truth is this: there are things with eternal value aligned to God's purposes, and there are things with zero eternal value aligned to the will of men. Each of us—young or old—must think deeply about these things.

If Christ comes back, or if we pass away, at minimum 95% of us will be gone. We have to think about that. This is not meant to scare you, but to bring you to reality.

The Journey Requires More Than a Good Start

Every journey and every endeavor—many people begin, but not many finish. Today I want to focus on not only starting, but standing, and having the courage to stand alone.

For you to be in God's presence, to fight a good fight, to finish well, and to declare as Paul declared in 2 Timothy 4:7: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith"—you must pass through many things.

Throughout the journey, there are times when you must make very hard decisions. In the corporate world, they talk about team development stages: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. We can bring this to our journey as believers.

In the journey of salvation, Moses realized something crucial. As he talked to God in Exodus 33, he understood this: there is just how far your own strength can take you. But a time comes when the tides and waves are so rough that you need God. Without God, you cannot make it.

The Grace That Sustains

Anyone who starts something without God starts well—they are excited. But when reality dawns, they start doubting whether they made the right decision. That "storming stage" leaves you wondering: Did I really make the right choice?

But those walking according to God's will, those called by God into whatever they're doing—they purpose in their hearts: come rain, come sunshine, I have decided to walk this walk. I know the grace of God is sufficient.

As John 1:17 tells us, the law came through Moses, but truth and grace came through Jesus Christ. When you walk in the truth, there is grace to help you through every stage. The grace is sufficient.

But apart from grace, you must make a decision. In 2 Timothy, when Paul said "I have fought a good fight," notice the word I. It did not go by itself. There was a season when things were not going well. But he decided: let there be rain or sun, I have decided to walk this journey.

The Power of Purpose

In God's kingdom, we are looking for men and women who, when they decide and purpose in their hearts, move in that direction. Unfortunately, many do not purpose in their hearts, and this causes much injury.

When you find someone who has truly purposed in their heart, if they give you their word, you can take it to the bank. The challenge is: there are some people, if they give you a promise, you cannot take it to the bank because it will not succeed.

When you see someone walking according to God's will, someone steady in what they do, there is no magic. That person has simply resolved: this is the route I've decided. Just like the song says: "I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back."

Those are the people the kingdom of God needs. They might be few, but they are there.

Learning From Daniel

When we read the book of Daniel, we see a young man in a foreign country. But in Daniel 1:8, Daniel resolved in his heart: "I will not defile myself. I will walk according to God's will. I will obey God. I will honor God. I will glorify God wherever I go."

He said: "My life shall bring honor to God's kingdom, no matter where I am, no matter what I face. I have decided that in the whole of my life, I shall honor God. I shall walk in purity, holiness, and righteousness. Even if I'm standing alone, even if all my friends turn away, I shall stand according to God's will."

My question tonight: Do you have the courage to stand alone? Standing in salvation, walking in purity, serving in God's kingdom—does it only depend on people?

I can tell you this with certainty: if it relies on people, if it relies on crowd mentality, a time will come when everyone else turns away. Your closest friend will say, "I've thrown in the towel. I've turned back."

But those who know their God, as Daniel declared, "shall do exploits." They stand their ground. They declare God's goodness in the land of the living because of the way they live, the way they walk, how they carry themselves. Why? Because they have purposed in their hearts.

I decided to take this route. I found the truth, and this truth has set me free. Now there is grace to help me walk in this truth.

Standing When Others Fall Away

Once you find the truth, which is Jesus Christ, there is grace to enable you. Even if you fall, there is grace.

When you read the Bible, we find so many people who had to remain alone. A good example is Job. For those who are married, the last person you expect to desert you is your wife. But by the time your wife is also deserting you, brother, you need a touch from the Lord. Yet grace is there.

Job suffered so much, and his wife told him, "You're worse than someone who's dead. Just curse God, and then he'll slay you, so you can rest." And Job stood. He still declared God's goodness.

I know when I talk about Job, there are people here who, in their walk of faith, might be at the point Job was. You feel so alone. The world has hated you. No one understands you. No one cares. Your friends have forsaken you. Your family has forsaken you. You feel so alone.

But I have good news for you tonight: there is grace to stand, even if you're standing alone. Our God says, "My grace is sufficient."

The Moment Before the Breakthrough

When things appear so tough, when heaven seems almost to be deserting you, I can tell you one thing: the morning is very close. God wants to lift you up. When you read the Bible about people who did great things, people who turned the world upside down—they are people who stood even when everyone else was turning away.

David was an ordinary shepherd boy until God came into the picture. God anointed David to glory. It was not God showing up that made David move to be king; it was the conviction in his heart: "The God I serve is a big God. My God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly beyond what we can imagine."

"If this God was able to deliver me from a bear, from a lion, what about this Philistine? I know my God is able."

Because David knew, because he was convicted, because he knew the truth about God's power, he stood his ground—even if Saul and all the army were running away. "I will stand. I know my God is able, and he will help me to strike down this uncircumcised Philistine."

Even tonight, our God is looking for people—young, old, men, women—who shall stand and say: "I know the God I believe in is able to do even this. I know he shall be able to do it."

Because of that conviction, even if all your friends, your relatives, your family, your church members are running away, you say: "But me, I know the God I serve. He is a faithful God. I will stand my ground."

The Cost of Compromise

If you read 1 Samuel 13, you see where Saul fell as king of Israel. Samuel told Saul, "I will come after seven days, and I will offer the sacrifice."

But an enemy comes—a vast army against the children of Israel. The people start to fear. They tremble. Some cross the river. Others hide in caves and thickets. Saul is left standing alone. The enemy is coming. The army has deserted him. Samuel is delaying.

Saul thinks: "I better take things into my own hands. I'll help God in this matter."

But here is the thing: the roles were distinctive. Only the priest and prophet could offer sacrifices, not the king. Saul crossed that boundary. He offered the sacrifice.

Immediately Samuel arrived. And Samuel asked, "What have you done?"

Saul answered, and Samuel said simply: "The kingdom has departed from you."

But notice: Saul could have just waited a little bit more. When you feel the situation is so desperate, so unbearable, the help is around the corner. Just stand your ground. The Lord desires to lift you up. Just by staying on God's side, the Lord is going to lift you up.

The Refusal to Bow

We also see this in Daniel 3. Everyone else is bowing. They have been told, "You must also bow." But those young men—my prayer tonight is that every young person, every old person, shall resolve in their heart: "It doesn't matter what comes my way. I know the God I serve. He is a faithful God. Even this situation, even this challenge—I know and I believe. Because our God is faithful, this shall pass away."

The word of God says in 2 Chronicles 16:9: "The eyes of the Lord are moving to and fro on the earth, looking for a people whose heart is loyal to him, that he may show himself strong on your behalf."

My brother, my sister, the Lord's eyes are looking for you because your heart is loyal to him.

How beautiful it is if the Lord God Almighty, the creator of heaven and earth, the God who reigns with power and authority in heaven above, on earth, under the earth—over the visible things and the invisible things—if he's fighting for you and wants to show himself strong on your behalf, it is a beautiful thing.

I desire such a thing. I know the Lord even tonight desires so much that he may show himself strong on your behalf. Just stand. Have the courage to stand alone.

Say like Daniel: "I have purposed in my heart that I will walk according to God's will. I will serve God, even if everyone else is turning away. But me, I have decided to serve this God."

The Investment That Matters

Let me read to you from 2 Chronicles 25. We see King Amaziah ruling in Jerusalem. During this time, Israel had gone against God's will. Amaziah decided to hire an army from Israel—100,000 soldiers.

But God sent a message. A man of God came to him and said: "Oh King, these troops from Israel must not march with you, for the Lord is not with Israel. Even if you go and fight courageously in battle, God will overthrow you."

Think about that: the Lord will not just leave you alone. He will fight against you.

But King Amaziah was troubled. He had invested 100 talents in that army. He said, "What about my investment?"

And here is where we miss the road. Sometimes the word of God comes to you. You get conviction: "My brother, this is wrong. My sister, this person you're going to marry—he's driving a big car, yes, but this is wrong. The Lord is saying, don't go ahead with what you're doing."

But you decide to go along because you've invested your time, your emotions. The Lord is saying: "My sister, my brother, he is going to be against you. He's not going to leave you alone. He's going to be against you."

I thank God for Moses, because he said: "If the Lord is not going with us, we will not go. It doesn't matter how far we have come from Egypt. It doesn't matter that we know we are going to the promised land. If the presence of God is not going with me, I am not going."

Even tonight, our God desires young men and young ladies, people who shall decide in their heart: "If the Lord is not in this thing, it doesn't matter how much I've invested in it. It doesn't matter how far I've come. If the Lord is not in this thing, I'm not going ahead with it."

Better to lose all your investments and all your time, but don't lose the presence of God in your life. Better to be alone but in God's presence than to have everything but lose God.

Finding the Right Companions

I am married to one beautiful lady. One thing I am certain about: I must go to heaven. I cannot allow anyone to take me out of that way. But I thank God because I found a wife in the presence of the Lord.

So in his presence, people find the right wives and husbands. There is beauty in being in the presence of God. You don't go there just to find wives and husbands, but as you stay there, these blessings are added.

You don't go now saying, "I want to start looking." Just go and serve God, and you'll find the right person who will not take you out of the way.

Examples Throughout Scripture

There are many examples in the Bible—people who resolved in their hearts. We've talked about Moses, we've talked about Daniel.

There is Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3:18, who said: "We will not bow, no matter what."

In Judges 11, Jephthah knew the truth, and he said: "Whatever my God has given us, I'm not leaving it for the enemy. I will fight for it."

There came a time when Israel was in turmoil. But God showed himself. Finally, someone who was regarded as a son of a prostitute, because he stood with the truth of God's word, because he knew the truth and stood in the truth—God vindicated him, and he became one of the judges of Israel.

Even tonight, as we move toward prayer, there's someone looking at himself and saying, "Can I stand? I don't think I'm able."

But I come to tell you tonight: the Lord is saying, my grace is sufficient. My grace is sufficient.

The Turbulence Before the Lifting

Before every lifting, there is turbulence. The turbulence comes. The people who shall stand in the midst of that turbulence—they shall be lifted.

For Daniel to be lifted to a place of power, the lions had to come. For Esther to be lifted further, the fires had to come.

I pray tonight for each and every one of us, and especially for the young people: that you shall have the courage as a young person to stand for the truth of God's word, to stand for purity, to stand in holiness, to stand in righteousness—even if everyone else is saying everyone else is doing it. You shall stand and say: "I know the truth. The truth says any person who fears God must walk in holiness and righteousness."

The Altar Call

Tonight, I want to give opportunity to anyone saying: "I know I desire to move to another level. I desire to do great things. But one thing I also desire is to be on the side of God, to know this truth."

Jesus is saying: anyone who comes to him, he will embrace you. He will never send you away. Anyone today who will call on him shall be saved.

I want to give this opportunity to anyone who is saying: "I want to know this truth. This is Jesus Christ. I want him in my life. I want to walk with Jesus."

"I know I need Jesus. I know I've been going to church. I know I've been coming for weekend worship. But one thing I know: in 2123, if Christ shall be coming, where will you be? Do you have confidence before Jesus?"

"I know for sure I don't have confidence before Jesus because I know my walk. But Jesus is saying, the door is open tonight. Come to me. I will give you rest. Come to me. I will give you rest. I will give you my yoke, which is light. I will fight your battles. I will walk with you."

"Once you come to me, once you come into your life, we shall walk together through the fires, through the waters. When the lions come, when tough situations come, we shall be together. There is grace to stand, to stand strong in every challenge."

If you're such a person, the door is open tonight. As we worship God, you can start coming forward.

A Second Category

But there is also a second category of people. You are saying: "I desire to stand until the end. Give me the grace. Give me the strength. Give me the courage to stand until the end."

If you're such a person, the opportunity is here. We can pray with you tonight because our God is saying: my grace is sufficient.

Believe by faith that the grace of God, the power to stand until the end, is about your destiny. It's about eternity.

You're saying: "I've heard the gospel. I know the truth. But the challenge is standing for the truth of God's word, standing even if I'm alone."

"I desire to start for real. I desire to stand. Friends may leave me. Family may leave me. But I need you, Jesus. I need to start. I need to stand. I need to stand until the end."

If you're such a person, come. The opportunity is here. Come and let us pray for you, let us declare that the grace of God is sufficient for you to stand, to stand even if it means standing alone.