09 Life Encounter: It's Persuasion Series

PEANUTS with Charlie Brown (CB)

- Peanuts debuts in seven newspapers October 2, 1950

- Peanuts ran in over 2,600 newspapers

- Readership of 355 million in 75 countries, and was translated into 21 languages.

- Last Peanuts strip January 3, 2000

- Charles Schulz dies Feb. 12

- Charles Schultz, pictures one of his characters Linus Van Pelt

- Linus, is always clinging to his security blanket.

-Wherever he goes or whatever he does, Linus must have his blanket.

- He is the intellectual one in Peanuts

- He gives philosophical revelations and solutions to problems.

- He can put life into perspective while sucking his thumb.

- He knows the true meaning of Christmas while continuing to believe in the Great Pumpkin.

* - Linus, First time with his security blanket - June, 1954

-CB to Lucy “Why does Linus hold his blanket like that?”

- Lucy I’m not sure ... I think maybe it gives him a feeling

of security

- CB walks off leaving Lucy with a ?

- Linus to Lucy “It doesn’t work. I feel like an idiot”

* - Linus gets his blanket washed for the first time - May 31, 1955

- Linus shaking in front of CB

- Linus banging his head on the floor

- Lucy runs in with blanket “Here it is Linus! All fluffy and

clean”

- Linus “Sigh” Lucy to CB Linus suffers on the day his blanket is

being washed.”

* - Linus tries to give up his blanket - Oct 14, 1957

- Lucy to Linus “You and that stupid blanket! You’ll be carrying

it around for the rest of your life!

- Linus “That’s not true! I have tremendous will power! Why I

could give up this blanket right today if I had to!

- Lucy “All Right! Let’s see you give it up

TODAY” Ripping it from him.

- Linus “Good grief! What have I done”

- Are we persuaded nothing can separate us from the love of God?

❶ Unpersuaded

- Where are you with your ID with Linus?

- Letting the difficulties of life get the best of us

- Un-surrendered - Displays itself in our Attitudes

- Attitudes of depression, doubt, fear, unbelief, pessimism seep into our soul

- God does not shelter us from the difficulties of life

- Difficulties are allowed for our spiritual growth Rom 5:3-5

- God is in control of all uncontrollables in our life

- Rom 8:28 All things work together for our good

- He gives us power to conquer - Rom 8:36

- This includes what I can’t see, doesn’t make sense or understand,

- Paul was persuaded that nothing could separate him from Christ

- He added ephecises at the end of v. 39

- Love gives convincing & conviction

- Demonstrated by Jesus

- There is no separation from Promises of God

- There is no separation from the Power of God

- Are you convinced of God’s care?

❷ The Persuasion

- Verses 38-39 list 9 things that cannot separate us from the love of God

- (If you include the 3 supernatural powers as 2)

- Nine are listed - Number of finality (The last digit before starting again)

- “FOR” I am persuaded - v.36

- Speaking of what has gone on before

- Christ covers every area of difficulty imaginable

1. Two Absolute States

- Dimensions of time

- Death - Life

DEATH

- Some things that are supposed to separate us

- To die is gain - we are closer to Christ in death then in life

- v. 36 Just finished saying that we are being put to death

- Death separates us from so much of what we know

- It was after death that Christ’s heart poured out blood and water by which we have the double cure;

- Note how he loves us in death and after death

- On the cross he was thinking of others

- Father forgive them- Lk 23:34

- Behold thy son thy mother - Jn 19:26

- Today thou shalt be with me - Lk 23:43

- Making intercession

Hebrews 7:25KJV

25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

LIFE

Full of Trouble, Trials, & Temptations

2. The Spiritual Forces

- ANGELS, PRINCIPALITIES, POWERS

- Dimensions of supernatural

- Good angels & Demons

- No archangel

- Mysterious powers which we do not fully understand

- Spiritual Warfare

- As battalions of forces against us

- We can stand as it were a rock against the ranging sea

3. Two Time States - Present - Future

- Dimensions of Events

- PRESENT

- Immediate — Today’s fears