Sermon Central
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Trading Places
Contributed by Paul Hammons on Mar 8, 2007 (message contributor)
Summary: Do you remember the 1980’s comedy called, “Trading Places”, where the lives of two men are toyed with by the Duke brothers?... God doesn’t toy with our lives, but He did send Jesus Christ to trade places with us.
Trading Places; Isaiah 41:10
Do you remember the 1980’s comedy called, “Trading Places”, where the lives of two men are toyed with by the Duke brothers? Randolph and Mortimer arrange for Louis Winthorpe III, the rich commodities broker, to be thrown out of his house and into jail and forsaken by all his friends, by planting money and drugs in his possession. While taking Billy Ray Valentine off of the streets and into Winthorpe’s house, they give him Winthorpe’s job, butler, car, and everything else. All for a one dollar bet to see whether it is environment or biology that places people where they are in life.
God doesn’t toy with our lives, but He did send Jesus Christ to trade places with us.
I. HIS FELLOWSHIP FOR YOUR FEARS “Fear not for I am with you”
We all have fears, some are strange others are common Phobias (Lacey-birds) 4 common fears:
Fear of death
Fear of failure
Fear of loosing security
Fear of the future (the unknown)
God answers all of these fears
Death – Phil. 1:21 “To die is gain”
Failure – Phil. 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”
Fear of loosing security – Phil. 4:19 “My God shall supply all your need”
Future – Matt. 28:20 “Lo, I am with you always”
The lost have good reason to fear these things because they are called the enemies of God, but it’s always been God’s desire to have perfect fellowship with His creation, so He came to this earth to make an exchange: HE WANTS TO TRADE HIS FELLOWSHIP FOR YOUR FEARS. When you accept Jesus Christ as savior, no matter where you are or what you’re going through God is with you.
Have you ever gone into a dark room alone and feared what was waiting in the darkness. But when someone is with you it doesn’t seem so bad, the fear seems to dissipate. And when Christ is with you (The light of the world) the darkness disappears.
II. HIS COMFORT FOR YOUR CONFUSSION “Be not dismayed for I am your God”.
One summer night during a severe thunderstorm a mother was tucking her small son into bed. He asked, “Mommy, will you stay with me tonight?” “I can’t dear, I have to sleep in Daddy’s room.” A long silence followed. At last it was broken by a shaky voice saying, “The big sissy!” Most children run to their moms or dads when they get scared or hurt or when they are sick, because they want to be comforted.
We never lose that need. That’s why men act as if they’re about to die when they are sick. They want to be comforted. Whenever there is a storm: thunder & lightning the kids want to be held, because they are unsure of what is going to happen – they are confused. We may feel that way when the storms of life hit. A death in the family, illness like cancer, problems at work, or at home, and the list goes on.
But in the midst of the storms of life God wants to comfort you. One of the most well known names of the Holy Spirit is COMFORTER.
God sent the Holy Spirit, as a comforter because He knew there would be times when we would be confused, hurting, sick and unsure of the future. HE WANTS TO TRADE HIS COMFORT FOR YOUR CONFUSSION.
III. HIS STRENGTH FOR YOUR WEAKNESS “I will strengthen you, yes I will help you.”
Several years ago when Jesse Ventura was governor of Minnesota he said, “God is a crutch.” Praise God because we all have some type of weakness, whether it be physical or spiritual, we all have a weakness and we need someone to be there for us to help us in our time of need If Ventura wants to say that God is a crutch that’s fine, A crutch gives us stability when we are weak.
By the way, Romans 14:11 says, “Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” One day Jesse Ventura is going fall at the judgment seat of Christ and he’s going to wish he had a leg to stand on or a crutch to hold him up.
Paul’s thorn in the flesh – He prayed 3 times that God would take it away, 2 Cor, 12:9, “And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
Wherever your weakness lies, consider His strength Isaiah 40:28-31
HE WANTS TO TRADE HIS STRENGTH FOR YOUR WEAKNESS.
VI. HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR YOUR RAGS “I will uphold you with my righteous hand.”
