Matthew 21:18-22:
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
18 In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry, 19 and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” And immediately the fig tree withered up.
Why did Jesus curse the fig tree?
This was not a thoughtless, angry act but an acted-out parable. Jesus was showing his anger at religion without substance.
Just as the fig tree looked good from a distance but was fruitless on close examination.
If you only appear to have faith without putting it to work in your life, you are like the fig tree that withered and died because it bore no fruit. James 2:20 says faith without works is useless.
Genuine faith means bearing fruit for God’s Kingdom.
The figs normally grow as the leaves fill out, but this tree, though full of leaves, had no figs. The tree looked promising but offered no fruit.
It is possible to have results without having fruits.
John 15:16 says “: I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain.”
There are basically three levels of participation in every church: attenders, members, and multipliers.
Attenders are those who sporadically make a certain church their headquarters. They make no commitment in finances, attendance, or outreach involvement, but they consider a particular church “their church”, especially at Christmas and Easter.
Members go to a second, higher level of involvement, with commitment to weekly attendance, tithing, and outreach participation.
Members are progressing towards discipleship but may not necessarily walk in purity, carry a burden for the lost, or know how to disciple someone else. Believers come alive when someone removes the dead branches of sin, bondage, and fear from their lives.
When they are intentionally discipled, they are empowered to break through the member ceiling and move up to the level of a multiplier.
This responsibility of discipling is a task reserved for not only the pastor but also for everyone who calls him/herself a follower of Christ.
Growing mature believers is what guarantees multiplication.
2 Timothy 2:2:
2 You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.
The early church had no buildings, props, or sound systems. What they did have was one- on- one discipleship, and that system released a power that filled the entire known world.
I believe that this church is going to grow by us growing the members.
Colossians 1:28:
28 So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect[a] in their relationship to Christ.
1. Winning souls: it all starts here when we proclaim the gospel and a sinner responds. This, however is addition: every step after this is what brings multiplication.
2. Sanctifying the body, mind, and spirit: this includes the intentional breaking of habits, bondages, and strongholds in the lives of believers. The focus is on getting them free from the negative influences that destroy.
3. Imparting wisdom and order through the scriptures: this refers to doctrinal and biblical studies to build faith, purpose, vision, and serious discipleship.
4. Multiplication: a truly disciple believer is God’s greatest evangelistic tool.
Dr. Bill Bright, founder of Camus Crusade for Christ gave the example of one of his disciples who went back to Thailand and disciple 700 believers and one of those 700 preached personally to over 200,00 thousand people in his lifetime and saw more than 20,000 receive Christ.
That is multiplication- not an event or fruitless effort at entertainment, but a chain reaction of changed lives that grows and explodes.
Here at New Harvest I want to get the focus off the word quantity and put the focus on quality.
The spirit wants to move in each one of our lives in a mighty way are you up to the challenge?
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Saturday, May 22, 2010
The Talents
You Must Use Your Talents Wisely
A story comes to my mind of a man in the l9th century who was caught for counterfeiting a twenty dollar bill. As he gave the twenty dollar bill to the cashier, she felt there was something sticky on her fingers which lead her to inform the police that the twenty dollar bill may not be genuine.
The police caught the man in the very act of counterfeiting another twenty dollar bill in his attic, right in front of an easel. He counterfeited his twenty dollar bills, not through printing by machine but by painting it with a brush.
The man was so talented in the art of painting that he could paint a bill so real that it was indistinguishable from the real currency.
He had been counterfeiting in this way for some time. The reason he got caught that day was that he became impatient and didn't wait long enough to let the paint dry.
In that attic, police also found three gorgeous paintings that he had painted. The man was a class artist. The proof of how talented an artist he was in lies in the fact that each of the three paintings fetched five hundred dollars.
Five hundred dollars was a lot of money in those days.
One might shrug one's shoulders and say, "Oh, well! The man was lazy. He wanted easy money. This is what he did for a fast buck." Hear this one. It took him the same amount of time in painting a twenty dollar bill as it took him to paint a five hundred dollar painting! The man had a talent, he worked hard, but he did not know how best to utilize his talent.
The Talents
Matthew 25:14-30:
Parable of the Three Servants
14 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. 15 He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.
16 “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. 17 The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. 18 But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.
19 “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. 20 The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’
21 “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
22 “The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’
23 “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
24 “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. 25 I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’
26 “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, 27 why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’
28 “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. 29 To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. 30 Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
God will judge man according to his use of talents. The word talent means abilities, skills, intelligence, or gifts.
All people have talents: some have more than others. God will judge our faithfulness in using these talents.
Not all can teach Sunday school or sing in the choir. Some can clean the church: others can pray and witness for the Lord.
The Bible warns us to be faithful-
Revelation 2:10:
10 Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will suffer for ten days. But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life.
Jesus never said that by being faithful to him we will avoid troubles, suffering, and persecutions.
Rather, we must be faithful to him in our sufferings.
Whatever you do, do it with faithfulness to God.
1. The Parable-vv 14-18
A. Servant-14 “Again , the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone.
The servants met with the master before he went on a journey. They were given money for investment purposes.
B. Sharing-15 He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.
The Living Bible says the shares were $5,000,$2,000 ,and $1,000. Others were given according to their ability.
C. Service-16 “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. 17 The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more.
Some put their money into service by investing it to gain interest
D. Shame-18 But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.
The man given $1,000 hid it. Faithless and fearful, he allowed his talent to lie dormant.
The master divided the money among his servants according to their abilities. No one received more or less than he could handle.
If he failed in his assignment, his excuse could not be that he was overwhelmed. Failure would indicate only laziness or hatred towards the master.
The bags of silver represent any resource we are given. God gives us time, gifts, and other resources according to our abilities, and expects us to invest them wisely until he returns.
We are responsible to use well what God has given us. The issue is not how much we have but how well we use what we have.
2. The People-vv 19-25
A. The return-19 “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money.
After a long time, the master returned and asked an accounting of the money. We are accountable to God for our lives-
2 Corinthians 5:10:
10 For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.
While eternal life is a free gift given on the basis of God’s grace, each of us will still be judged by Christ.
He will reward us for how we have lived. God’s gracious gift of salvation does not free us from the requirement of faithful obedience.
All Christians must give account on the day of judgment of how they have lived.
B. The results-22 “The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’
23 “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
Those who invested their money were praised for their faithfulness. We, too, will be judged by our faithfulness-
1 Corinthians 4:2:
2 Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful.
Each day God presents us with needs and opportunities that challenge us to do what we know is right.
Jesus is coming back- we know this is true. Does this mean we must quit our jobs in order to serve God? No, it means we are to use our time, talents, and treasures diligently in order to serve God completely in whatever we do.
C.Rejection-24 “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. 25 I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’
26 “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate,
God expects us to use the talents he gives for His honor and glory.
This last man was thinking only of himself. He hoped to play it safe and protect himself from his hard master, but he was judged for his self- centeredness. We must not make excuses to avoid doing what God calls us to do. If God truly is our Master, we must obey willingly. Our time, abilities, and money arent ours in the first place- we are caretakers, not owners. When we ignore, squander, or abuse what we are given, we are rebellious and deserve to be punished.
D. God will judge Christians in their use of:
1. Time-Psalm 90:12:
12So teach us to number our days that we may get us a heart of wisdom.
Realizing that life is short helps us use the little time we have more wisely and for eternal good. Take time to number your days by asking, what do I want to see happen in my life before I die? What small step could I take towards that purpose today?
2. Money- Malachi 3:8-10:
8 “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me!
“But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’
“You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. 9 You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!
Everything we have is from God: so when we refuse to return to him a part of what he has given, we rob him.
Do you selfishly want to keep 100 percent of what God gives, or are you willing to return at least 10 percent to help advance God’s Kingdom?
In Luke 6:38 it says “Give and you will receive.”
When we give, we must remember that the blessings God promises are not always material and may not be experienced completely here on earth, but we will certainly receive them in our future life with him.
3. Abilities and skills.-Ecclesiastes 9:10:
10 Whatever you do, do well.
3. The Punishment-vv 26-30
A. Laziness- 26 “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate,
Romans 12:11:
11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.
B. Loss-27 why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’
28 “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. 29 To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. 30 Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
The talent was taken from the one who had wasted it and given to the one who had made the greatest increase.
The unprofitable servant was cast into outer darkness.
This parable describes the consequences of two attitudes towards Christ’s return. The person who diligently prepares for it by investing his or her time and talents to serve God will be rewarded.
The person who has no heart for the work of the Kingdom will be punished. God rewards faithfulness. Those who bear no fruit for God’s Kingdom cannot expect to be treated the same as those who are faithful.
C. Lesson-God's judgment will come to all people.
Hebrews 9:27:
27 And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment,
Judgment is not a popular theme today, but the Bible teaches, that judgment is coming? Do you look forward to Christ’s return, or do you see it as a threat?
Revelation 20:11-15:
The Final Judgment
And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds.
At the judgment, the books will be opened. The Books of Life contains the names of those who have put their trust in Christ to save them.
These books also contain the recorded deeds of everyone, good or evil. Everyone’s life will be reviewed and evaluated.
Jesus will look at how we have handled gifts, opportunities, and responsibilities.
Each of us must serve Christ in the best way we know .
At the judgment for Christians, there will be Christian who are found guilty of laziness and indifference .
God’s people know their need for Bible reading and prayer, they know it is right to give God His tithes, they know soul- winning is their responsibility- but so many Christians do not apply this knowledge to their lives.
As the result, they will stand in shame at this judgment for Christians.
Conclusion and application:
A. Are we servants of God?
B. Are you being faithful in using your God given gifts, talents, and abilities for the glory of God and the building up and edification of His church?
Is it your desire carry out the vision of this church which “equipping people to believe, receive and achieve all that God has for them”
Before we can equip others we must be equipped ourselves.
Are you giving God your very best or are you just going through the motions. If we want to see this church grow we must be giving God our all holding nothing back, we need to surrender all to Christ if we are to reap a bountiful harvest.
Is this your desire? `
A story comes to my mind of a man in the l9th century who was caught for counterfeiting a twenty dollar bill. As he gave the twenty dollar bill to the cashier, she felt there was something sticky on her fingers which lead her to inform the police that the twenty dollar bill may not be genuine.
The police caught the man in the very act of counterfeiting another twenty dollar bill in his attic, right in front of an easel. He counterfeited his twenty dollar bills, not through printing by machine but by painting it with a brush.
The man was so talented in the art of painting that he could paint a bill so real that it was indistinguishable from the real currency.
He had been counterfeiting in this way for some time. The reason he got caught that day was that he became impatient and didn't wait long enough to let the paint dry.
In that attic, police also found three gorgeous paintings that he had painted. The man was a class artist. The proof of how talented an artist he was in lies in the fact that each of the three paintings fetched five hundred dollars.
Five hundred dollars was a lot of money in those days.
One might shrug one's shoulders and say, "Oh, well! The man was lazy. He wanted easy money. This is what he did for a fast buck." Hear this one. It took him the same amount of time in painting a twenty dollar bill as it took him to paint a five hundred dollar painting! The man had a talent, he worked hard, but he did not know how best to utilize his talent.
The Talents
Matthew 25:14-30:
Parable of the Three Servants
14 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. 15 He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.
16 “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. 17 The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. 18 But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.
19 “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. 20 The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’
21 “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
22 “The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’
23 “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
24 “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. 25 I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’
26 “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, 27 why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’
28 “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. 29 To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. 30 Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
God will judge man according to his use of talents. The word talent means abilities, skills, intelligence, or gifts.
All people have talents: some have more than others. God will judge our faithfulness in using these talents.
Not all can teach Sunday school or sing in the choir. Some can clean the church: others can pray and witness for the Lord.
The Bible warns us to be faithful-
Revelation 2:10:
10 Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will suffer for ten days. But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life.
Jesus never said that by being faithful to him we will avoid troubles, suffering, and persecutions.
Rather, we must be faithful to him in our sufferings.
Whatever you do, do it with faithfulness to God.
1. The Parable-vv 14-18
A. Servant-14 “Again , the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone.
The servants met with the master before he went on a journey. They were given money for investment purposes.
B. Sharing-15 He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.
The Living Bible says the shares were $5,000,$2,000 ,and $1,000. Others were given according to their ability.
C. Service-16 “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. 17 The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more.
Some put their money into service by investing it to gain interest
D. Shame-18 But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.
The man given $1,000 hid it. Faithless and fearful, he allowed his talent to lie dormant.
The master divided the money among his servants according to their abilities. No one received more or less than he could handle.
If he failed in his assignment, his excuse could not be that he was overwhelmed. Failure would indicate only laziness or hatred towards the master.
The bags of silver represent any resource we are given. God gives us time, gifts, and other resources according to our abilities, and expects us to invest them wisely until he returns.
We are responsible to use well what God has given us. The issue is not how much we have but how well we use what we have.
2. The People-vv 19-25
A. The return-19 “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money.
After a long time, the master returned and asked an accounting of the money. We are accountable to God for our lives-
2 Corinthians 5:10:
10 For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.
While eternal life is a free gift given on the basis of God’s grace, each of us will still be judged by Christ.
He will reward us for how we have lived. God’s gracious gift of salvation does not free us from the requirement of faithful obedience.
All Christians must give account on the day of judgment of how they have lived.
B. The results-22 “The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’
23 “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
Those who invested their money were praised for their faithfulness. We, too, will be judged by our faithfulness-
1 Corinthians 4:2:
2 Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful.
Each day God presents us with needs and opportunities that challenge us to do what we know is right.
Jesus is coming back- we know this is true. Does this mean we must quit our jobs in order to serve God? No, it means we are to use our time, talents, and treasures diligently in order to serve God completely in whatever we do.
C.Rejection-24 “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. 25 I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’
26 “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate,
God expects us to use the talents he gives for His honor and glory.
This last man was thinking only of himself. He hoped to play it safe and protect himself from his hard master, but he was judged for his self- centeredness. We must not make excuses to avoid doing what God calls us to do. If God truly is our Master, we must obey willingly. Our time, abilities, and money arent ours in the first place- we are caretakers, not owners. When we ignore, squander, or abuse what we are given, we are rebellious and deserve to be punished.
D. God will judge Christians in their use of:
1. Time-Psalm 90:12:
12So teach us to number our days that we may get us a heart of wisdom.
Realizing that life is short helps us use the little time we have more wisely and for eternal good. Take time to number your days by asking, what do I want to see happen in my life before I die? What small step could I take towards that purpose today?
2. Money- Malachi 3:8-10:
8 “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me!
“But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’
“You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. 9 You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!
Everything we have is from God: so when we refuse to return to him a part of what he has given, we rob him.
Do you selfishly want to keep 100 percent of what God gives, or are you willing to return at least 10 percent to help advance God’s Kingdom?
In Luke 6:38 it says “Give and you will receive.”
When we give, we must remember that the blessings God promises are not always material and may not be experienced completely here on earth, but we will certainly receive them in our future life with him.
3. Abilities and skills.-Ecclesiastes 9:10:
10 Whatever you do, do well.
3. The Punishment-vv 26-30
A. Laziness- 26 “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate,
Romans 12:11:
11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.
B. Loss-27 why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’
28 “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. 29 To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. 30 Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
The talent was taken from the one who had wasted it and given to the one who had made the greatest increase.
The unprofitable servant was cast into outer darkness.
This parable describes the consequences of two attitudes towards Christ’s return. The person who diligently prepares for it by investing his or her time and talents to serve God will be rewarded.
The person who has no heart for the work of the Kingdom will be punished. God rewards faithfulness. Those who bear no fruit for God’s Kingdom cannot expect to be treated the same as those who are faithful.
C. Lesson-God's judgment will come to all people.
Hebrews 9:27:
27 And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment,
Judgment is not a popular theme today, but the Bible teaches, that judgment is coming? Do you look forward to Christ’s return, or do you see it as a threat?
Revelation 20:11-15:
The Final Judgment
And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds.
At the judgment, the books will be opened. The Books of Life contains the names of those who have put their trust in Christ to save them.
These books also contain the recorded deeds of everyone, good or evil. Everyone’s life will be reviewed and evaluated.
Jesus will look at how we have handled gifts, opportunities, and responsibilities.
Each of us must serve Christ in the best way we know .
At the judgment for Christians, there will be Christian who are found guilty of laziness and indifference .
God’s people know their need for Bible reading and prayer, they know it is right to give God His tithes, they know soul- winning is their responsibility- but so many Christians do not apply this knowledge to their lives.
As the result, they will stand in shame at this judgment for Christians.
Conclusion and application:
A. Are we servants of God?
B. Are you being faithful in using your God given gifts, talents, and abilities for the glory of God and the building up and edification of His church?
Is it your desire carry out the vision of this church which “equipping people to believe, receive and achieve all that God has for them”
Before we can equip others we must be equipped ourselves.
Are you giving God your very best or are you just going through the motions. If we want to see this church grow we must be giving God our all holding nothing back, we need to surrender all to Christ if we are to reap a bountiful harvest.
Is this your desire? `
Saturday, May 15, 2010
God has a plan
This morning we want to look at a few scriptures in the book of Romans. The book of Romans was written by the apostle Paul who was intelligent, articulate, and committed to his calling. Paul has heard about the church in Rome, but he had not yet been there. The purpose of this book was to introduce Paul to the Romans and to give a sample of his message before he arrives in Rome.
Romans 8:27-31:
27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.
Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love
31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?
I heard a story about a little boy, who said his mother used to embroider a great deal. He would sit at her knee and look up from the floor and ask what she was doing. She informed him that she was embroidering. He told her that it looked like a mess from where he was. As from the underside he watched her work within the boundaries of the little round hoop that she held in her hand, he complained to her that it sure looked messy from where he sat.
She would smile at him, look down and gently say, "My son, you go about your playing for a while, and when I am finished with my embroidering, I will put you on my knee and let you see it from my side."
He would wonder why she was using some dark threads along with the bright ones and why they seemed so jumbled from his view. A few minutes would pass and then he would hear Mother's voice say, "Son, come and sit on my knee." This I did only to be surprised and thrilled to see a beautiful flower or a sunset.
He could not believe it, because from underneath it looked so messy. Then Mother would say to him, "My son, from underneath it did look messy and jumbled, but you did not realize that there was a pre-drawn plan on the top. It was a design. I was only following it.
Now look at it from my side and you will see what I was doing."
Many times through the years I have looked up to my Heavenly Father and said, "Father, what you are doing?" He has answered, "I am embroidering your life.” I say, "But it looks like a mess to me. It seems so jumbled. The threads seem so dark. Why can't they all be bright?"
The Father seems to tell me, "'My child, you go about your business of doing My business, and one day I will bring you to Heaven and put you on My knee and you will see the plan from My side."
God is doing a mighty work in each one of our lives and from our perspective on life we might not be able to see it. Sometimes we don’t quit know which way to turn in life sometimes don’t even know how to pray.
The scripture tells us…
27And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.
As believers we are not left to our own resources to cope with problems. Even when we don’t know the right words to pray, the Holy Spirit prays with us and God answers.
Sometimes we might not understand exactly why we must go through some of the things that we do but we can rest in his word that he is in control. The scripture tells us…
28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
God works in everything- not just isolated incidents- for our good. This does not mean that all that happens to us is good.
There is a lot of evil in this world, but God is able to turn every circumstance around for our long- range good.
Note that God is not working to make us happy but to fulfill his purpose.
God knew us before we were even formed in the womb. In our passage this morning it says….
29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
God’s ultimate goal for us is to make us like Christ. As we become more and more like him, we discover our true selves, the person we were created to be.
How can we become like Christ? By reading and heeding the Word, by studying his life on earth through the Gospels, by spending time in prayer, by being filled with his Spirit, and by doing his work in the world.
God has a plan and a purpose for us and he calls us all by name. Scripture tells us ..
30 And having chosen them, he called (Called means “summoned or invited”) them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.
God’s purpose for us is not an afterthought; it was settled before the foundation of the world.
People are to serve and honor God. If you believe in Christ you can rejoice in the fact that God has always known you.
If someone who has promised to never leave us or forsake us and knows our every being… Then…
31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?
If we, as a nation, honor God and adhere to His law then we have nothing to fear.
God has the perfect plan for us we just have to have faith and believe.
No matter what you may be facing today don’t give up before Christ can complete his perfect work in your life.
Phil 1:6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
When God starts a project, he completes it! When you are discouraged, remember that God won’t give up on you.
He promises to finish the work he has begun.
When you feel incomplete, unfinished, or distressed by your shortcomings, remember Gods promise and provision.
Don’t let your present condition rob you of the joy of knowing Christ or keep you from growing closer to him.
He has a plan just look at it from His perspective.
Romans 8:27-31:
27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.
Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love
31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?
I heard a story about a little boy, who said his mother used to embroider a great deal. He would sit at her knee and look up from the floor and ask what she was doing. She informed him that she was embroidering. He told her that it looked like a mess from where he was. As from the underside he watched her work within the boundaries of the little round hoop that she held in her hand, he complained to her that it sure looked messy from where he sat.
She would smile at him, look down and gently say, "My son, you go about your playing for a while, and when I am finished with my embroidering, I will put you on my knee and let you see it from my side."
He would wonder why she was using some dark threads along with the bright ones and why they seemed so jumbled from his view. A few minutes would pass and then he would hear Mother's voice say, "Son, come and sit on my knee." This I did only to be surprised and thrilled to see a beautiful flower or a sunset.
He could not believe it, because from underneath it looked so messy. Then Mother would say to him, "My son, from underneath it did look messy and jumbled, but you did not realize that there was a pre-drawn plan on the top. It was a design. I was only following it.
Now look at it from my side and you will see what I was doing."
Many times through the years I have looked up to my Heavenly Father and said, "Father, what you are doing?" He has answered, "I am embroidering your life.” I say, "But it looks like a mess to me. It seems so jumbled. The threads seem so dark. Why can't they all be bright?"
The Father seems to tell me, "'My child, you go about your business of doing My business, and one day I will bring you to Heaven and put you on My knee and you will see the plan from My side."
God is doing a mighty work in each one of our lives and from our perspective on life we might not be able to see it. Sometimes we don’t quit know which way to turn in life sometimes don’t even know how to pray.
The scripture tells us…
27And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.
As believers we are not left to our own resources to cope with problems. Even when we don’t know the right words to pray, the Holy Spirit prays with us and God answers.
Sometimes we might not understand exactly why we must go through some of the things that we do but we can rest in his word that he is in control. The scripture tells us…
28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
God works in everything- not just isolated incidents- for our good. This does not mean that all that happens to us is good.
There is a lot of evil in this world, but God is able to turn every circumstance around for our long- range good.
Note that God is not working to make us happy but to fulfill his purpose.
God knew us before we were even formed in the womb. In our passage this morning it says….
29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
God’s ultimate goal for us is to make us like Christ. As we become more and more like him, we discover our true selves, the person we were created to be.
How can we become like Christ? By reading and heeding the Word, by studying his life on earth through the Gospels, by spending time in prayer, by being filled with his Spirit, and by doing his work in the world.
God has a plan and a purpose for us and he calls us all by name. Scripture tells us ..
30 And having chosen them, he called (Called means “summoned or invited”) them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.
God’s purpose for us is not an afterthought; it was settled before the foundation of the world.
People are to serve and honor God. If you believe in Christ you can rejoice in the fact that God has always known you.
If someone who has promised to never leave us or forsake us and knows our every being… Then…
31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?
If we, as a nation, honor God and adhere to His law then we have nothing to fear.
God has the perfect plan for us we just have to have faith and believe.
No matter what you may be facing today don’t give up before Christ can complete his perfect work in your life.
Phil 1:6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
When God starts a project, he completes it! When you are discouraged, remember that God won’t give up on you.
He promises to finish the work he has begun.
When you feel incomplete, unfinished, or distressed by your shortcomings, remember Gods promise and provision.
Don’t let your present condition rob you of the joy of knowing Christ or keep you from growing closer to him.
He has a plan just look at it from His perspective.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
For the 30 and over
If you are 30, or older, you might think this is hilarious!
When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were. When they were growing up; what with walking twenty-five miles to school every morning.... Uphill... Barefoot... BOTH ways. yadda, yadda, yadda
And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way I was going to lay a bunch of stories like that on my kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it!
But now that I'm over the ripe old age of thirty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today.
You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in an Utopia!
And I hate to say it, but you kids today, you don't know how good you've got it!
I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have the Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalog!!
There was no email!! We had to actually write somebody a letter - with a pen! Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox, and it would take like a week to get there! Stamps were 10 cents!
Child Protective Services didn't care if our parents beat us. As a matter of fact, the parents of all my friends also had permission to kick our butts! Nowhere was safe!
There were no MP3's or Napsters or iTunes! If you wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the record store and shoplift it yourself!
Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio, and the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and mess it all up! There were no CD players! We had tape decks in our car.. We'd play our favorite tape and "eject" it when finished, and then the tape would come undone rendering it useless. Cause, hey, that's how we rolled, Baby! Dig?
We didn't have fancy stuff like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called, they got a busy signal, that's it!
There weren't any ' cell phones either. If you left the house, you just didn't make a call or receive one. You actually had to be out of touch with your "friends". OH MY GOSH !!! Think of the horror... not being in touch with someone 24/7!!! And then there's TEXTING. Yeah, right. Please! You kids have no idea how annoying you are.
And we didn't have fancy Caller ID either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your parents, your boss, your bookie, , the collection agent... you just didn't know!!!
You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!
We didn't have any fancy PlayStation or Xbox video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'Asteroids'. Your screen guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination!!! And there were no multiple levels or screens; it was just one screen... Forever! And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!
You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! You were screwed when it came to channel surfing! You had to get off your butt and walk over to the TV to change the channel!!! NO REMOTES!!! Oh, no, what's the world coming to?!?!
There was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday Morning. Do you hear what I'm saying? We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you spoiled little rat!
And we didn't have microwaves. If we wanted to heat something up, we had to use the stove! Imagine that!
And our parents told us to stay outside and play... all day long. Oh, no, no electronics to soothe and comfort.
And if you came back inside... you were doing chores!
And car seats - oh, please! Mom threw you in the back seat and you hung on. If you were luckily, you got the “safety arm" across the chest at the last moment if she had to stop suddenly, and if your head hit the dashboard, well that was your fault for calling "shot gun" in the first place!
See! That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled rotten! You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1980 or any time before!
Regards,
The Over 30+ Crowd
When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were. When they were growing up; what with walking twenty-five miles to school every morning.... Uphill... Barefoot... BOTH ways. yadda, yadda, yadda
And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way I was going to lay a bunch of stories like that on my kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it!
But now that I'm over the ripe old age of thirty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today.
You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in an Utopia!
And I hate to say it, but you kids today, you don't know how good you've got it!
I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have the Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalog!!
There was no email!! We had to actually write somebody a letter - with a pen! Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox, and it would take like a week to get there! Stamps were 10 cents!
Child Protective Services didn't care if our parents beat us. As a matter of fact, the parents of all my friends also had permission to kick our butts! Nowhere was safe!
There were no MP3's or Napsters or iTunes! If you wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the record store and shoplift it yourself!
Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio, and the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and mess it all up! There were no CD players! We had tape decks in our car.. We'd play our favorite tape and "eject" it when finished, and then the tape would come undone rendering it useless. Cause, hey, that's how we rolled, Baby! Dig?
We didn't have fancy stuff like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called, they got a busy signal, that's it!
There weren't any ' cell phones either. If you left the house, you just didn't make a call or receive one. You actually had to be out of touch with your "friends". OH MY GOSH !!! Think of the horror... not being in touch with someone 24/7!!! And then there's TEXTING. Yeah, right. Please! You kids have no idea how annoying you are.
And we didn't have fancy Caller ID either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your parents, your boss, your bookie, , the collection agent... you just didn't know!!!
You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!
We didn't have any fancy PlayStation or Xbox video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'Asteroids'. Your screen guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination!!! And there were no multiple levels or screens; it was just one screen... Forever! And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!
You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! You were screwed when it came to channel surfing! You had to get off your butt and walk over to the TV to change the channel!!! NO REMOTES!!! Oh, no, what's the world coming to?!?!
There was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday Morning. Do you hear what I'm saying? We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you spoiled little rat!
And we didn't have microwaves. If we wanted to heat something up, we had to use the stove! Imagine that!
And our parents told us to stay outside and play... all day long. Oh, no, no electronics to soothe and comfort.
And if you came back inside... you were doing chores!
And car seats - oh, please! Mom threw you in the back seat and you hung on. If you were luckily, you got the “safety arm" across the chest at the last moment if she had to stop suddenly, and if your head hit the dashboard, well that was your fault for calling "shot gun" in the first place!
See! That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled rotten! You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1980 or any time before!
Regards,
The Over 30+ Crowd
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Coping with Care
An average person's anxiety is focused on :
40% -- things that will never happen
30% -- things about the past that can't be changed
12% -- things about criticism by others, mostly untrue
10% -- about health, which gets worse with stress
8% -- about real problems that will be faced
Coping with Care
1 Peter 5:7:
7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
Carry your worries, stresses, and daily struggles by yourself shows that you have not trusted God fully with your life.
It takes humility, however, to recognize that God cares, to admit your need, and let others in God’s family help you.
Sometimes we think that struggles caused by our own sin and foolishness are not God’s concerns. But when we turn to God in repentance, he will bear the weight even of those struggles.
Letting God have your anxieties calls for action, not passivity. Don’t submit to circumstances but to the Lord, who controls circumstances.
1. Some Are Care(less)
Zephaniah 2:15:
… the city that dwelt carelessly…how is she become a desolation…
A. There are many careless people in today’s world. Their lives are in jeopardy- physically and spiritually.
B. Accidents are caused by carelessness. Financial loss is sustained and lives are lost through careless living.
C. Many are careless about spiritual things. They fail to accept Christ as Savior and Lord of their lives. Christians often neglect their prayer life, church attendance, and service to God.
D. God is displeased with careless living. He sent His Son to die for our sins. He expects us to be good stewards of our lives- diligent in love and service.
1 Peter 4:18:
18)AND IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED, WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE GODLESS MAN AND THE SINNER?
If the righteous are barely saved (only because of Gods mercy), what chances have those who reject Christ?
2. Some Are Care(full)
Philippians 4:6:
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
A. Millions are weighed down with the burden of sins. This load is too heavy for them to bear.
B. Jesus came to take away our sins. We can be set free from the bondage and burden of sin by exercising repentance and faith.
C. Many Christians are filled with care and anxiety. They struggle through life, trying to carry their own burdens and the responsibility for others.
D. God is displeased when His people are full of care. We must cast our care on Him. He wants to relieve us of our burdens.
1 Peter 5:7:
7Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.
We do not have to carry so many of the burdens that we take on ourselves! When you are following Him, you do not need to worry about where you are going, He knows the way! Just get in that yoke with Jesus. Believe on HIM, follow HIM, keep your eyes on HIM and go where HE leads, and you will end up right where you need to be, no need to stress out about it! He is MORE than capable of handling the details, just follow Him
Matthew 11:28-30:
28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
The yoke emphasizes the challenges, work, and difficulties of partnering with Christ in life.
Responsibilities weigh us down, even the effort of staying true to God. But Jesus yoke remains easy compared to the crushing alternative.
Jesus doesn’t offer a life of luxurious ease- the yoke is still an oxen’s tool for working hard. But it’s a shared yoke, with weight falling on bigger shoulders than ours. Someone with more pulling power is up front helping.
Suddenly you are participating in life’s responsibilities with a great partner- and now that frown can turn into a smile, and that gripe into a song.
3. Some Are Care(free)
Galatians 5
Freedom in Christ
1 So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free,
Christ came to set us free- not free to do whatever we want because that would lead us back into slavery to our selfish desires.
Rather thanks to Christ, we are now free and able to do what was impossible before- to live unselfishly.
A. Many Christians are in bondage, but this is displeasing to God. It is His will that His children be set free.
B. Total commitment to God liberates us from bondage or self.
C. Helping the less fortunate, visiting the sick, comforting the bereaved, and sharing Christ with unsaved brings freedom from self-centeredness.
D. Simple trusting faith- just taking Christ at His word- brings freedom. Only Christ can enable us to cope with care.
John 8:32-36:
32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
33 “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?”
34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. 35 A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.
Jesus himself is the truth that sets us free. He is the source of truth, the perfect standard of what is right. He frees us from continued slavery to sin, from self-deception, and from deception by Satan.
He shows us clearly the way to eternal life with God. Thus, Jesus does not give us freedom to do what we want, but freedom to follow God. As we seek to serve God, Jesus perfect truth frees us to be all that God meant us to be.
Sin has a way of enslaving us, controlling us, dominating us, and dictating our actions. Jesus can free you from this slavery that keeps us from becoming the person God created us to be. If sin is restraining, mastering, or enslaving you, Jesus can break its power over your life.
40% -- things that will never happen
30% -- things about the past that can't be changed
12% -- things about criticism by others, mostly untrue
10% -- about health, which gets worse with stress
8% -- about real problems that will be faced
Coping with Care
1 Peter 5:7:
7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
Carry your worries, stresses, and daily struggles by yourself shows that you have not trusted God fully with your life.
It takes humility, however, to recognize that God cares, to admit your need, and let others in God’s family help you.
Sometimes we think that struggles caused by our own sin and foolishness are not God’s concerns. But when we turn to God in repentance, he will bear the weight even of those struggles.
Letting God have your anxieties calls for action, not passivity. Don’t submit to circumstances but to the Lord, who controls circumstances.
1. Some Are Care(less)
Zephaniah 2:15:
… the city that dwelt carelessly…how is she become a desolation…
A. There are many careless people in today’s world. Their lives are in jeopardy- physically and spiritually.
B. Accidents are caused by carelessness. Financial loss is sustained and lives are lost through careless living.
C. Many are careless about spiritual things. They fail to accept Christ as Savior and Lord of their lives. Christians often neglect their prayer life, church attendance, and service to God.
D. God is displeased with careless living. He sent His Son to die for our sins. He expects us to be good stewards of our lives- diligent in love and service.
1 Peter 4:18:
18)AND IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED, WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE GODLESS MAN AND THE SINNER?
If the righteous are barely saved (only because of Gods mercy), what chances have those who reject Christ?
2. Some Are Care(full)
Philippians 4:6:
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
A. Millions are weighed down with the burden of sins. This load is too heavy for them to bear.
B. Jesus came to take away our sins. We can be set free from the bondage and burden of sin by exercising repentance and faith.
C. Many Christians are filled with care and anxiety. They struggle through life, trying to carry their own burdens and the responsibility for others.
D. God is displeased when His people are full of care. We must cast our care on Him. He wants to relieve us of our burdens.
1 Peter 5:7:
7Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.
We do not have to carry so many of the burdens that we take on ourselves! When you are following Him, you do not need to worry about where you are going, He knows the way! Just get in that yoke with Jesus. Believe on HIM, follow HIM, keep your eyes on HIM and go where HE leads, and you will end up right where you need to be, no need to stress out about it! He is MORE than capable of handling the details, just follow Him
Matthew 11:28-30:
28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
The yoke emphasizes the challenges, work, and difficulties of partnering with Christ in life.
Responsibilities weigh us down, even the effort of staying true to God. But Jesus yoke remains easy compared to the crushing alternative.
Jesus doesn’t offer a life of luxurious ease- the yoke is still an oxen’s tool for working hard. But it’s a shared yoke, with weight falling on bigger shoulders than ours. Someone with more pulling power is up front helping.
Suddenly you are participating in life’s responsibilities with a great partner- and now that frown can turn into a smile, and that gripe into a song.
3. Some Are Care(free)
Galatians 5
Freedom in Christ
1 So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free,
Christ came to set us free- not free to do whatever we want because that would lead us back into slavery to our selfish desires.
Rather thanks to Christ, we are now free and able to do what was impossible before- to live unselfishly.
A. Many Christians are in bondage, but this is displeasing to God. It is His will that His children be set free.
B. Total commitment to God liberates us from bondage or self.
C. Helping the less fortunate, visiting the sick, comforting the bereaved, and sharing Christ with unsaved brings freedom from self-centeredness.
D. Simple trusting faith- just taking Christ at His word- brings freedom. Only Christ can enable us to cope with care.
John 8:32-36:
32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
33 “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?”
34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. 35 A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.
Jesus himself is the truth that sets us free. He is the source of truth, the perfect standard of what is right. He frees us from continued slavery to sin, from self-deception, and from deception by Satan.
He shows us clearly the way to eternal life with God. Thus, Jesus does not give us freedom to do what we want, but freedom to follow God. As we seek to serve God, Jesus perfect truth frees us to be all that God meant us to be.
Sin has a way of enslaving us, controlling us, dominating us, and dictating our actions. Jesus can free you from this slavery that keeps us from becoming the person God created us to be. If sin is restraining, mastering, or enslaving you, Jesus can break its power over your life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
