## Do You Have a Survival Plan?

## John 16:33

Well, since this is Jan 2, 2000 and we are gathered here in the warmth of our auditorium without the need for oil lamps and generators, I will assume that we have made it to Y2K and we have survived! To God be the glory!

I suppose that the doomsayers will gather their thoughts and find another crisis for us all to worry over real soon. Until then, I guess life will just have to go on in spite of them.

So it might seem strange that I am posing a question this morning concerning survival. The title of the message is this: Do You Have a Survival Plan for the coming year? I am more interested and concerned with our moral and spiritual survival than I am physical survival.

- Are we going to survive spiritually in y2k?
- Are we going to make it through?
- Do we have what it takes?
- Do we have the right stuff?
- Do we have a survival plan?

(John 16:33) "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

God has given us a survival plan for difficult days. Here is the manual - the plan- that will get us through the hard times. We will not only survive, but we can thrive. This morning I want us to consider what we need to help us make it through this year.

I. We Will Need Provisions.

A. We will need something to sustain us.

1. It will have to be nourishing.

2. It will have to be durable and lasting.

3. It will have to be satisfying.

(Job 23:12) "Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food."

(Psa 119:103) "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!"

(Jer 15:16) "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts."

(Mat 4:4) "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

4. What will sustain us in the coming year?

5. Nothing but the Word of God.

6. Every year around this time there is a list of books put out that are 'must' reading for all; put the Bible at the top of your list.

B. We need others to help us along the way.

1. Here is a clue for all of us.

2. We cannot make it alone!

3. We need each other.

(Eccl 4:9-10) "Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. {10} For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up."

C. We need the local church.

1. You may envision yourself as a loner who needs no one else, but that isn't true!

2. As believers, we need one another.

3. God has made a provision for us to find the strength and encouragement we need.

4. He has done that through the local church.

a. You can listen to radio preachers.

b. You can watch the dog and pony shows on TBN.

c. But nothing…nothing…can replace the need of the local church in the life of a believer.

d. Why? Because God designed it to meet our needs perfectly, and God makes no mistakes.

(Eph 5:25b) "…Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;"

(Heb 10:25) "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

II. We Need A Communication Plan

A. We need to communicate with God.

1. We do so through prayer.

2. I am not talking about some mumbo jumbo so-called language.

3. Prayer is when we talk to God about what is on our hearts.

4. But, God is omniscient, He knows all why should we bother with prayer?

5. To be obedient to our Heavenly Father.

a. God has commanded us to pray.

b. He taught His disciples to pray, not how to pray!

(Luke 11:1) "And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples."

c. The 'Lord's Prayer' was given as a model for us to follow.

d. We are not to pray that prayer specifically, but we are to include the elements of the prayer when we pray.

(Rev 8:3) "And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne."

B. We need to communicate with others.

1. We have already talked about the importance of other believers in our lives.

2. But we are important to the lives of unbelievers as well.

3. We must communicate the message of salvation to those who are without Christ.

4. The message needs to be simple and clearly presented that it might be clearly understood.

5. Jesus sent us forth with the task of reaching our world with the gospel.

(John 20:21) "Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you."

III. We Need A Plan for Protection

A. No, I am not advocating an arsenal.

1. Assault rifles, automatic weapons, and the like will not accomplish what we need.

2. Paul warned us that carnal weapons would not help, because the battle is spiritual.

(2 Cor 10:4) "(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)"

B. Our protection comes from God.

(2 Sam 22:3) "The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence."

(Psa 5:11) "But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee."

C. Our security is in Him.

(Eph 4:30) "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."

1. The seal not only identifies, but it preserves us until Jesus returns.

2. Note: 1 Peter 1:1-5

3. We are kept by the power of God, not by our own strength.

Will we make it through this year? We will if we follow God's simple plan. Why not accept God's plan of salvation?

1. Acknowledge that we have sinned, and need to come to the Savior.
2. Realize that He loves us so much that He was willing to die in our place on the cross.
3. Come to Christ by faith, accepting His offer of amazing grace.
4. Trust in Him today and be saved.

(Prov 3:5) "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."