“Memorial Day is an official holiday in most states of the United States. It was observed on May 30 until 1971, when for federal employees,, the date was changed to the last Monday in May.
It is also known as Decoration Day.The custom of placing flowers on the graves of the war began on May 5, 1866, in Waterloo, NY, and Waterloo has been recognized by Congress as the official birthplace of Memorial Day. In 1868,
Gen. John A. Logan, then president of the Grand Army of the Republic, declared that May 30th would be a day to decorate with “flowers on the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion.”
After World War I the day was set aside to honor of all the American wars, and the custom was extended to pay homage to deceased relatives and friends, both military and civilian. The most solemn ceremony conducted on Memorial Day
is the placing of a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns located in Arlington national Cemetery
....From the Encyclopedia Americana, 1991 edition
Tomorrow we will celebrate this day. Many people see it as just a day off;
a 3 day weekend. But for those who have lost someone because of war or military action, it means much more than a day off.
In fact, every American ought to recognize this day out of his patriotic duty to his country and in honor of those who spilled their blood to make America what she is today--free, strong, and a nation worth fighting for.
Because men & women have died for this country, we have the right to teach God’s word freely. We have the right to live at peace in our own homes.
We have the right to pursue peace, prosperity and happiness.
Thank God for those who died to make us free.
As we prepare to enter into a day to remember those who died for liberty,
it is fitting to remember the one who died to set us free from spiritual tyranny. Jesus fought the armies of Hell that we might have liberty in his holy name.
We celebrate Memorial day once a year to remember those who died for freedom, but every week is a celebration of the Memorial of Christ. What I'd like us to look at today is to parallel our nations Memorial Day with the memorial day of Christ. Because for the Christian, every Sunday is a memorial day. In the church world we physically remember by partaking in Communion.
On Memorial Day we...
1-Mourn the Loss
2-Remember the Lives
3-Are thankful for the Sacrifice
In light of Christ’s battle, let’s examine evidence of our memorial in Him as we recognize the likeness of our celebration of our military.
On Memorial Day we...
1-Mourn the Loss
We remember the loved ones who died, wish they were here and not gone; here to share with us, to hold, to talk to and to see. But because of death, we can not.When people die, we naturally think of the “If Only’s”
“If only I had told him I loved him”;
“If only I had kissed her one last time”;
“If only I hadn’t spoken so harshly”.
We replay those doubts over and over in our minds. but we ultimately know those “If Only’s” would not change a thing.On the Lord’s Memorial Day, we are to examine our responsibility to Him. The Christ-follower must recognize that he is very responsible for His death. (death of Christ) “If only we had not sinned he would not have had to die.” But we are to blame. We must examine ourselves as we meet around his memorial (which is Communion) as if we would stand before a mirror and realize the truth in
...Rom 3:23 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"
I am the one to blame. I caused all his shame. He was publicly humiliated, beaten, spit upon, treated as a sinner because I am a sinner.
As we mourn the loss of Christ, realize that we are the guilty ones. And know that if there only be one sinner who was lost, He still would have died.
His love is that great.
Matt 18:12-1412
"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?13 And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost."
We are that lost sheep and Jesus found us. Mourning the loss is the first thing we must do as we celebrate the memorial of our Lord. This is why Jesus gave us the bread. At communion, the first thing you do with the bread as you partake of this memorial is break it. Whether you physically break it with your hands, you break the body of Christ. Just as our sin broke the physical body of Christ.
The breaking of the bread is symbolic of the breaking of Christ's body.
On Memorial Day we:
1-Mourn the Loss and
2-Remember the Lives
Part of our emotional healing in the process of grief is to remember the lives of the loved one who has passed.The headstones we put on the graves are a testimony of who those people were. As we walk around a cemetery we some remembrances of those who died. Epitaphs I found.
Gone So Soon
Beloved Sons (on a stone of twins who died near the same time)
Dear Parents, Though we will miss you much, we know you rest with God.
Safe in the Arms of Jesus
Faithful Unto Death
Gone But Not Forgotten
A Tender Mother and a Faithful Friend
At Rest
The Lord Is My Shepherd, I Shall Not Want
Life’s Work Well Done She Rests in Peace
Age 64, 7 months, 9 days At Rest
some are more creative:
Under the sod and under the treesLies the body of Jonathan Pease.
He is not here, there's only the pod:Pease shelled out and went to God.
On the 22nd of June - Jonathan Fiddle - Went out of tune
In a Georgia cemetery: "I told you I was sick!"
In a cemetary in England: Remember man, as you walk by,
As you are now, so once was I, As I am now, so shall you be,
Remember this and follow me.
- To which someone replied by writing on the tombstome:
To follow you I'll not consent, Until I know which way you went.
All of these messages tell us a little about the one who is buried under that headstone. Likewise the epitaph that Jesus left tells us something about him. Inscribed on just about every communion table I have ever seen are the words found in
1 Cor 11:24
"and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."
What must we remember about Jesus?
His amazing sacrifice on the cross ofcourse – that is what communion
always refers to – but I believe Jesus would like us to go further, to look prior to the cross, in......
how He lived and what he taught through His life. That requires us to dig a little deeper, to open our Bible's and study. He set a glowing example of how to live in love. Going to the cross was the ultimate sacrifice of love. Our life should reflect that love. (mirrors)
The bread that we first have broken is a reminder of the body of Christ. We are vividly reminded each time we observe this memorial that we are a part of the body of Christ. We reflect Christ.
When we physically eat this bread it becomes a part of our body. Our body uses this bread for our nourishment. But Jesus doesn’t only want us just to be physically nurtured as we meet around the table but he also wants us to be spiritually edified.
This remembering is not simply the recalling of historical facts, it’s a participation in spiritual realities. At the Lord’s Table (communion) we don’t walk around the monument and admire it. We have fellowship with a living Savior as our hearts reach out by faith.
If we approach this memorial in the proper attitude we will experience spiritual growth. Just as our physical body grows when fed properly. It is a faith growing exercise.(in taking of the bread, we remember his sacrifice of love, and we are a part of it, let's take it now)
On Memorial Day we
1-Mourn the Loss
2-Remember the Lives
3-(remember their sacrifice) Are Thankful for the Sacrifice
ILLUSTRATION from “Stories from the Heart”
It was a few weeks before Christmas 1917. The beautiful snowy landscapes of Europe were blackened by war.The trenches on one side held the Germans and on the other side the trenches were filled with Americans. It was World War I. The exchange of gunshots was intense. Separating them was a very narrow strip of no-man’s-land. A young German soldier attempting to cross that no-man’s-land had been shot and had become entangled in the barbed wire. He cried out in anguish, then in pain he continued to whimper.Between the shells all the Americans in that sector could hear him scream. When one American soldier could stand it no longer, he crawled to that German soldier. When the Americans realized what he was doing they stopped firing, but the Germans continued. Then a German officer realized what the young American was doing and he ordered his men to cease firing. Now there was a weird silence across the no-man’s-land. On his stomach, the American made his way to that German soldier and disentangled him. He stood up with the German in his arms, walked straight to the German trenches and placed him in the waiting arms of his comrades. Having done so, he turned and started back to the American trenches.Suddenly there was a hand on his shoulder that spun him around. There stood a German officer who had won the Iron Cross, the highest German honor for bravery. He jerked it from his own uniform and placed it on the American, who walked back to the American trenches. When he was safely in the trenches, they resumed the insanity of war!
That German soldier was thankful for that American soldiers sacrifice.
All the heroic acts done on the battlefields through history have made our country what it is today. We are free. We are wealthy and we are respected around the world..
I am proud to be an American and I have the luxuries of this country because men & women have died to give me that opportunity.
In the same way, the price Jesus paid afforded us salvation. We have the promise of salvation and we did nothing to afford this luxury. For this we must be thankful. This is why Jesus gave us the cup.
1 Cor 11:2525
" In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."
When we drink the juice, we remember our forgiveness. It is the blood of Jesus that He spilt in order to clean our hearts from sin.The old hymn I sang as kid in children's church says it best:
“What can wash away my sins, nothing but the blood of Jesus
What can make me whole again, nothing but the blood of Jesus”
Heb 9:13-14 The writer explains to us what Christ's sacrifice did for us in this new covenant.
"The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean.
How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!"
When we believe and accept what Christ did for us on the cross. We are cleansed, we have forgiveness of our sins, we have the gift of the Holy Spirit and the promise of eternal life.
3 unmerited gifts given to you. All we have to do is believe and become a Christ follower and the grace of God is poured out onto you. Now that is something to be thankful for!
When we drink the juice, we remember our forgiveness and salvation. Let us drink.
I hope that after today’s message you will have a greater understanding of what it means to spend time around the Memorial of Christ.
The Communion Table.
1-Mourn the loss of the body of Christ and examine our responsibility to it as you break the bread.
2-Remember the life of Jesus as you compare your life with his. Eat the bread and realize that you are one with his body.
3-Be thankful for His sacrifice because it is through His that we are saved; partake of the cup and be thankful for His sacrifice that offered your forgiveness.
This Memorial Day, remember your Savior and His Memorial.
Perhaps the Memorial we observed today is unfamiliar to you.
Maybe you are outside of Christ. You can have the forgiveness that is
promised to all and claimed by few.
Sunday, May 29, 2005
Sunday, May 22, 2005
Can You Hear Me Now? - Take Action!
“When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there. And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was. Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.” Mark 6:53-56
read vs. 56 again – people just wanted to touch Jesus and they believed they would be healed, “...and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment.” This wasn't unusual for Christ. Do you remember the woman who had been bleeding for 12 yrs. who wanted to just touch Jesus. It's in Matthew 9
“And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well." But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well." And the woman was made well from that hour.” Matthew 9:20-22
Reach out to Jesus Christ. Reach out and grab a hold of the bottom of garment! Seriously, purposefully, completely focused that if you can take a hold of the just a small piece of His garment you WILL be heard. You will recieve from God. Look at our 2 stories again, look at the last sentences, Mark 6:56: “And as many as touched Him were made well.” and Matthew 9:22: “And the woman was made well from that hour.”
It comes down to doing your part, and believing in FAITH that God is bigger than whatever is going on inside of you or around you. Do you believe that?, do you believe that God is bigger than the enemy! Do you? Do you say in your head, even aloud to other people that God can and will restore you to perfect health, or restore my finances, or job, or family, and ... and deliver you from the enemy! Or do just the opposite thoughts and sayings come out from within.
Listen, I believe this is for you. You have to do your part. This is your battle! The good news or better yet the best news is that God is on your side.
“My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand” John 10:29
“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4
Those promises apply to you . No one can snatch you away (name) from our Father's hand! Do you see the TRUTH! Do you know what that means, you can't be taken away, so then don't let the enemy trick you away! Don't be deceived! “but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.” James 1:14
(In last weeks message, we had to pray for Protection – daily request – put on armor – to go into the battlefield – OUR DAY - the battlefield begins when our head rises from our pillow until we lay it back down at night and sleep)
This isn't someone else's battle – it's yours. Don't wait around for someone else to pray – YOU PRAY!
YOU REACH OUT! Stand up in Christ Jesus who is standing up for you! He is waiting for you to do your part. This is the challenge –DO YOUR PART!
Remember His words, they are for you, “
Look one more time at what happened:
“...immediately the people recognized Him, 55ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was . 56Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.”The people recognized & ran to HimThey carried out and laid their sick before HimThey begged HimThey reached out to touch HimThen after they did their part -“as many as touched Him were made well.”
Here it is : God's Game plan for battle -
Recognize Him (Lord of all, Soveriegn) – relationship
v. 54 “...the people recognized Him”
in Gen. 3 God comes a walking in the garden He created in the cool of the evening b/c He desired the company of those He made. The indication from the text is this was a regular event, a routine in their daily lives. At the end of the day He came to hang out with Adam and Eve. They were connected, His hand filled the imprint on each of them. This is how it is meant to be between the Creator and the created – time together cultivating friendship.
Run after Him – this is worship,
v.55 “...wherever they heard He was”
This is an all out search for God. Wherever He is – I'm going full throttle – I'm going all out after God. It is a burning desire inside. It cannot be quenched by anything or anyone other than God.
I'm gonna Go after God with a passion.
Yahoo Groups site: 'FOCUSmontrose' - files link:
God Online: Stlye vs. Substance http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FOCUSmontrose/files/GOD%20on-line/
Relinquish (lay)your problems before Him –
v56 “...they laid the sick in the marketplaces...”
Give it up! There's nothing too Big He can't handle, nothing too small He doesn't care about. What are you holding onto? (sickness, finances, job or career, oppression, ect..) Let go! “But I can handle it, it's not that big of a deal” Let it go! Give it to God!
This is also an emptying out of ourselves. We can be some self-centered people.When we relinquish all, it is consecrating everything to God - there is nothing in between you and God.
Request of Him(beg),
v56 “...and begged Him...” for us is to ask, ask for our healing, finances restored, marriage restored,mean it! Get fired up! Be passionate!
Let Go and Let God!
This is also an in-filling of the Holy Spirit. After we have emptied ourselves of US - we ask God to fill us up with HIM.
Reach out to touch Him – believe in faith
v56 “...that they might just touch the hem of His garment.”
This is an action step. We need to take action! To do our part.
This also means to reach out and touch others.
In being in relationship with Father God, in running after Him, in emptying ourselves out, and being filled with His Spirit – a transformation begins to take place. Our heart comes in line with His – we are aligned with God Almighty,
we are walking in the Spirit.
We become consumed with the cause of the King and the Kingdom. That cause is to reach out to as many people as we can in the time we have here on this earth – Acts 17:26 our time here is set on purpose.
To reach out to others is reaching out to touch God – you are touching God.
review: Recognize Him, Run after Him, Relinquish, Request, then Reach out to touch Him.Then after you do your part -“as many as touched Him were made well.”
“Prayer is the best wireless connection”
read vs. 56 again – people just wanted to touch Jesus and they believed they would be healed, “...and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment.” This wasn't unusual for Christ. Do you remember the woman who had been bleeding for 12 yrs. who wanted to just touch Jesus. It's in Matthew 9
“And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well." But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well." And the woman was made well from that hour.” Matthew 9:20-22
Reach out to Jesus Christ. Reach out and grab a hold of the bottom of garment! Seriously, purposefully, completely focused that if you can take a hold of the just a small piece of His garment you WILL be heard. You will recieve from God. Look at our 2 stories again, look at the last sentences, Mark 6:56: “And as many as touched Him were made well.” and Matthew 9:22: “And the woman was made well from that hour.”
It comes down to doing your part, and believing in FAITH that God is bigger than whatever is going on inside of you or around you. Do you believe that?, do you believe that God is bigger than the enemy! Do you? Do you say in your head, even aloud to other people that God can and will restore you to perfect health, or restore my finances, or job, or family, and ... and deliver you from the enemy! Or do just the opposite thoughts and sayings come out from within.
Listen, I believe this is for you. You have to do your part. This is your battle! The good news or better yet the best news is that God is on your side.
“My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand” John 10:29
“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4
Those promises apply to you . No one can snatch you away (name) from our Father's hand! Do you see the TRUTH! Do you know what that means, you can't be taken away, so then don't let the enemy trick you away! Don't be deceived! “but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.” James 1:14
(In last weeks message, we had to pray for Protection – daily request – put on armor – to go into the battlefield – OUR DAY - the battlefield begins when our head rises from our pillow until we lay it back down at night and sleep)
This isn't someone else's battle – it's yours. Don't wait around for someone else to pray – YOU PRAY!
YOU REACH OUT! Stand up in Christ Jesus who is standing up for you! He is waiting for you to do your part. This is the challenge –DO YOUR PART!
Remember His words, they are for you, “
Look one more time at what happened:
“...immediately the people recognized Him, 55ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was . 56Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.”The people recognized & ran to HimThey carried out and laid their sick before HimThey begged HimThey reached out to touch HimThen after they did their part -“as many as touched Him were made well.”
Here it is : God's Game plan for battle -
Recognize Him (Lord of all, Soveriegn) – relationship
v. 54 “...the people recognized Him”
in Gen. 3 God comes a walking in the garden He created in the cool of the evening b/c He desired the company of those He made. The indication from the text is this was a regular event, a routine in their daily lives. At the end of the day He came to hang out with Adam and Eve. They were connected, His hand filled the imprint on each of them. This is how it is meant to be between the Creator and the created – time together cultivating friendship.
Run after Him – this is worship,
v.55 “...wherever they heard He was”
This is an all out search for God. Wherever He is – I'm going full throttle – I'm going all out after God. It is a burning desire inside. It cannot be quenched by anything or anyone other than God.
I'm gonna Go after God with a passion.
Yahoo Groups site: 'FOCUSmontrose' - files link:
God Online: Stlye vs. Substance http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FOCUSmontrose/files/GOD%20on-line/
Relinquish (lay)your problems before Him –
v56 “...they laid the sick in the marketplaces...”
Give it up! There's nothing too Big He can't handle, nothing too small He doesn't care about. What are you holding onto? (sickness, finances, job or career, oppression, ect..) Let go! “But I can handle it, it's not that big of a deal” Let it go! Give it to God!
This is also an emptying out of ourselves. We can be some self-centered people.When we relinquish all, it is consecrating everything to God - there is nothing in between you and God.
Request of Him(beg),
v56 “...and begged Him...” for us is to ask, ask for our healing, finances restored, marriage restored,mean it! Get fired up! Be passionate!
Let Go and Let God!
This is also an in-filling of the Holy Spirit. After we have emptied ourselves of US - we ask God to fill us up with HIM.
Reach out to touch Him – believe in faith
v56 “...that they might just touch the hem of His garment.”
This is an action step. We need to take action! To do our part.
This also means to reach out and touch others.
In being in relationship with Father God, in running after Him, in emptying ourselves out, and being filled with His Spirit – a transformation begins to take place. Our heart comes in line with His – we are aligned with God Almighty,
we are walking in the Spirit.
We become consumed with the cause of the King and the Kingdom. That cause is to reach out to as many people as we can in the time we have here on this earth – Acts 17:26 our time here is set on purpose.
To reach out to others is reaching out to touch God – you are touching God.
review: Recognize Him, Run after Him, Relinquish, Request, then Reach out to touch Him.Then after you do your part -“as many as touched Him were made well.”
“Prayer is the best wireless connection”
Sunday, May 15, 2005
Can You Hear Me Now? - The Process of being Heard
How many of you have had trouble communicating? (if married you should have your hand way high) It doesn't really matter who it is – w/ people we have a hard time communicating. We can be saying the words right, pronouncing properly, have our syllable count correct, actual sounds coming out of our mouths, but there's just no way we'll be heard, IF there is not the right attitude and right approach in the communication process.
So what I want to do today is deal w/ the attitude & approach we need to be heard by God.
So I'd like us to walk out what are the right attitudes that we can come to the communication process w/ in terms of our relationship w/ God so that we can be heard b/c He wants to hear us.
1st off - “’When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men.’” Matthew 6:5
They weren't all-together real, a little fake, a little hypocritical.
First attitude to bring to the table in our communication w/ God is we must
BE REAL. The 1st thing about prayer is, 'don't try to impress' – like Pharisees – who would look up to heaven in a crowd and shake & wave hands and get louder and louder. Have you ever seen anything like that? “Look at me - how spiritual I am” God wants us to be ourselves – we cant impress Him like that – He knows our thoughts and hearts already – so be real.
BE RELAXED - “’But when you pray go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.’” Matthew 6:6
Be by yourself, remove obstacles, remove distractions – solitude.
Top reasons why people say they don't pray more:
1.Time – we spend a lot of time TV/ computer/ activities
2.No place to go – take a walk, in drive or sit in car, 'Susanna Wesley had 19 kids – put apron over head.
If it's important, you find the time – you make it a priority – you make it happen – none of us are that busy or that burdened.
BE REVEALING - “’Don't recite the same prayer over and over as the heathen do, who think prayers are answered only by repeating them again and again. Remember, your Father knows exactly what you need before you ask Him!’” Matthew 6:7-8
Just talk – it's a convo. between 2 people who love each other. (when I talk to Cathleen I dont say, – 'Oh thou most honored of women, shall thee bless thy withest the car keys”) Often time people change their tone, their wording, get louder or softer... just a convo. between friends.
It all starts w/ the right attitude – now let's take a look at the approach -
“Jesus said, ‘This is how you should pray’” Matthew 6:9
Notice here that Jesus says how to pray, not what to pray. This is not an actual prayer to recite word for word. It's known as the Lord's Prayer. How many of you have this memorized? This is sort of a schematic, an outline, a guide.
1st: Begin by EXPRESSING my love for and to God (PRAISE)
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” Matthew 6:9
Begin prayer by expressing your love towards God – for God. Say,
“I'm here right now b/c I want to focus on you and you alone.” If I go into my quiet time focused strictly on me and my needs I'm gonna leave depressed. That's why a lot of human convo. is off b/c we come into convo. just thinking about what we can get out of it.
Jesus tells us Begin w/ God in mind – not yourself.
Kinds of Praise:
ADORATION
(Praising God for who He is, His character)
What are some characteristics of God?
Start w/ those or something similar – what prompts in your mind?
THANKSGIVING
(Praising God for what He has done)
“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise. Be thankful unto him, and bless his name.” Psalm 100:4
Write down right now some thing you know you are thankful for that God provided or has done in your life. (diff. for everyone)
It's easy to remember what to be thankful for and just as easy to forget – so it's good to spend time giving thanx.
2nd: COMMIT to God’s will and PURPOSE for my life (PURPOSE)
“Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Matthew 6:10
Do you think there's some good stuff happening in Heaven? Pray for that here ,for God's will on Earth. We're still focusing on God – we need to be at the place where we say, “You're God & I'm not.” We are making a commitment to God's plan & purpose for our lives - each day – in all areas:
Pray for God's will to be done…
In my life
In my family
In my church
Among my friends
In my city
Here's what we can do, ask God, “Where is my character not like yours?” Then the next step is to commit to do or to improve in whatever area our character lacks. Where it's not like God's.
Write some down now:
“Offer yourself as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer.” Romans 12:2
Where ever I'm out of alignment – get it straight. You know how to tell? I see there's too much Joe and not enough God
3rd: ASK God to PROVIDE for my needs (PROVISION)
“Give us today our daily bread” Matthew 6:11
What needs can we pray for? All of them. There's nothing too big that He cant handle, & nothing too small he doesn't care about.
“God will supply all of my needs from His riches in glory because of what Christ Jesus has done for us.” Philippians 4:19
“Since God did not spare even his own son for us but gave him up for us, won't he also surely give us everything else?” Romans 8:32
Hardest thing for God was to die on the cross for all humanity –
He can handle what you've got.
There seems no way out – It seems far too big – It appears to be too late – we feel the despair, it's no problem for the Almighty God – just give it to Him in the right attitude and approach.
“You do not have because you don't ask of God.” James 4:2(be spec.)
Wishing and hoping for it is not the same as asking.
“Don't worry about anything but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6
Why petition if He already knows?
We are declaring our dependence upon Him.
It's submitting, remember to His will – that's a good place to be. So often we try to figure it out on our own – Take it to God.
Jot down some personal needs & other categories:
Personal needs
Family needs
Financial needs
Career needs
Physical needs
Emotional needs
4th: ASK God to FORGIVE my sins (PARDON)
“Forgive us our debts (trespasses, sins)” Matthew 6:12
Steps to forgiveness
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal EVERY SIN in my life
“Examine me, O God, and know my mind; test me, and discover my
thoughts. Find out if there is any evil in me.” Psalm 139
Be quiet, listen. Here's the neat thing - if quiet before Him He will reveal. Reveal what? What is Sin? To know the right thing to do and not do it. James 4:17 – Ask God that '?'
Confess each sin SPECIFICALLY
We often do the broad sweep confession right? Be specific – call them out individually – maybe write them out.
“You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins. Confess them and give them up. Then God will show mercy to you.” Proverbs 28:13
Make RESTITUTION to others when necessary
“When you remember your brother has something against you, go at
once to make peace with him, then come back and offer your gift to
God.” Matthew 5:23-24
(In Family - “God I dot want to do that – she started it) This is what is so cool about quit time (prayer time) Yeah He hears you and reveals
By faith ACCEPT God's forgiveness
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our
sins, and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
Once you've gone thru the process of confession – if you still feel guilty, that's not God. That's Satan condemning – God says, once you ask for forgiveness, it's GONE!
5th: PRAY for other people (PEOPLE)
“As we also have forgiven our debtors (those who have trespassed or sinned against us)” Matthew 6:12
“Pray much for others; plead for God's mercy upon them, give thanks for all he is going to do for them.” 1 Timothy 2:1
An important part of prayer is to remember that God is working in and thru the lives of the people you associate with, or live around, or are near. If there's someone you've been praying for a long time & dot see any evidence of God working (2 wks. Ago - "passionate, persistant prayer") and you want to give up and say “forget it, prayer doesn't work, I'm just wasting my breath”
Be assured God is working – you just cant see it.
Keep praying until one of three things change: either God has changed me –
the situation – or person, so keep praying!
How do I pray for others? Look at the prayers of Paul.
What should you pray for these others – write down a couple.
6th: REQUEST spiritual protection from God (PROTECTION)
“And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.”
Matthew 6:13
For those who have claimed Christ – those who are Christ-followers – everyday we face a battle, Satan is real, the devil is real – He wants to defeat us thru temptation and fear. If I spend time daily w/ God praying for protection – putting on the spiritual armor – when walking out onto the battlefield (which is our 'day') – it makes me aware of the evil I will encounter, that will come my way. If we're not aware we often get caught in a trap, in a snare. But if you ask the Lord to make you aware of it – if you ask for His protection, your mind is ready & you wont go down the wrong path as easy.
This is just an outline we can use – do it daily. This is the only way we can communicate w/God. He has a # of ways, Bible, Holy Spirit w/in us, and more. So hang out w/ Him daily. This is a guideline HOW
So what I want to do today is deal w/ the attitude & approach we need to be heard by God.
So I'd like us to walk out what are the right attitudes that we can come to the communication process w/ in terms of our relationship w/ God so that we can be heard b/c He wants to hear us.
1st off - “’When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men.’” Matthew 6:5
They weren't all-together real, a little fake, a little hypocritical.
First attitude to bring to the table in our communication w/ God is we must
BE REAL. The 1st thing about prayer is, 'don't try to impress' – like Pharisees – who would look up to heaven in a crowd and shake & wave hands and get louder and louder. Have you ever seen anything like that? “Look at me - how spiritual I am” God wants us to be ourselves – we cant impress Him like that – He knows our thoughts and hearts already – so be real.
BE RELAXED - “’But when you pray go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.’” Matthew 6:6
Be by yourself, remove obstacles, remove distractions – solitude.
Top reasons why people say they don't pray more:
1.Time – we spend a lot of time TV/ computer/ activities
2.No place to go – take a walk, in drive or sit in car, 'Susanna Wesley had 19 kids – put apron over head.
If it's important, you find the time – you make it a priority – you make it happen – none of us are that busy or that burdened.
BE REVEALING - “’Don't recite the same prayer over and over as the heathen do, who think prayers are answered only by repeating them again and again. Remember, your Father knows exactly what you need before you ask Him!’” Matthew 6:7-8
Just talk – it's a convo. between 2 people who love each other. (when I talk to Cathleen I dont say, – 'Oh thou most honored of women, shall thee bless thy withest the car keys”) Often time people change their tone, their wording, get louder or softer... just a convo. between friends.
It all starts w/ the right attitude – now let's take a look at the approach -
“Jesus said, ‘This is how you should pray’” Matthew 6:9
Notice here that Jesus says how to pray, not what to pray. This is not an actual prayer to recite word for word. It's known as the Lord's Prayer. How many of you have this memorized? This is sort of a schematic, an outline, a guide.
1st: Begin by EXPRESSING my love for and to God (PRAISE)
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” Matthew 6:9
Begin prayer by expressing your love towards God – for God. Say,
“I'm here right now b/c I want to focus on you and you alone.” If I go into my quiet time focused strictly on me and my needs I'm gonna leave depressed. That's why a lot of human convo. is off b/c we come into convo. just thinking about what we can get out of it.
Jesus tells us Begin w/ God in mind – not yourself.
Kinds of Praise:
ADORATION
(Praising God for who He is, His character)
What are some characteristics of God?
Start w/ those or something similar – what prompts in your mind?
THANKSGIVING
(Praising God for what He has done)
“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise. Be thankful unto him, and bless his name.” Psalm 100:4
Write down right now some thing you know you are thankful for that God provided or has done in your life. (diff. for everyone)
It's easy to remember what to be thankful for and just as easy to forget – so it's good to spend time giving thanx.
2nd: COMMIT to God’s will and PURPOSE for my life (PURPOSE)
“Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Matthew 6:10
Do you think there's some good stuff happening in Heaven? Pray for that here ,for God's will on Earth. We're still focusing on God – we need to be at the place where we say, “You're God & I'm not.” We are making a commitment to God's plan & purpose for our lives - each day – in all areas:
Pray for God's will to be done…
In my life
In my family
In my church
Among my friends
In my city
Here's what we can do, ask God, “Where is my character not like yours?” Then the next step is to commit to do or to improve in whatever area our character lacks. Where it's not like God's.
Write some down now:
“Offer yourself as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer.” Romans 12:2
Where ever I'm out of alignment – get it straight. You know how to tell? I see there's too much Joe and not enough God
3rd: ASK God to PROVIDE for my needs (PROVISION)
“Give us today our daily bread” Matthew 6:11
What needs can we pray for? All of them. There's nothing too big that He cant handle, & nothing too small he doesn't care about.
“God will supply all of my needs from His riches in glory because of what Christ Jesus has done for us.” Philippians 4:19
“Since God did not spare even his own son for us but gave him up for us, won't he also surely give us everything else?” Romans 8:32
Hardest thing for God was to die on the cross for all humanity –
He can handle what you've got.
There seems no way out – It seems far too big – It appears to be too late – we feel the despair, it's no problem for the Almighty God – just give it to Him in the right attitude and approach.
“You do not have because you don't ask of God.” James 4:2(be spec.)
Wishing and hoping for it is not the same as asking.
“Don't worry about anything but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6
Why petition if He already knows?
We are declaring our dependence upon Him.
It's submitting, remember to His will – that's a good place to be. So often we try to figure it out on our own – Take it to God.
Jot down some personal needs & other categories:
Personal needs
Family needs
Financial needs
Career needs
Physical needs
Emotional needs
4th: ASK God to FORGIVE my sins (PARDON)
“Forgive us our debts (trespasses, sins)” Matthew 6:12
Steps to forgiveness
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal EVERY SIN in my life
“Examine me, O God, and know my mind; test me, and discover my
thoughts. Find out if there is any evil in me.” Psalm 139
Be quiet, listen. Here's the neat thing - if quiet before Him He will reveal. Reveal what? What is Sin? To know the right thing to do and not do it. James 4:17 – Ask God that '?'
Confess each sin SPECIFICALLY
We often do the broad sweep confession right? Be specific – call them out individually – maybe write them out.
“You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins. Confess them and give them up. Then God will show mercy to you.” Proverbs 28:13
Make RESTITUTION to others when necessary
“When you remember your brother has something against you, go at
once to make peace with him, then come back and offer your gift to
God.” Matthew 5:23-24
(In Family - “God I dot want to do that – she started it) This is what is so cool about quit time (prayer time) Yeah He hears you and reveals
By faith ACCEPT God's forgiveness
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our
sins, and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
Once you've gone thru the process of confession – if you still feel guilty, that's not God. That's Satan condemning – God says, once you ask for forgiveness, it's GONE!
5th: PRAY for other people (PEOPLE)
“As we also have forgiven our debtors (those who have trespassed or sinned against us)” Matthew 6:12
“Pray much for others; plead for God's mercy upon them, give thanks for all he is going to do for them.” 1 Timothy 2:1
An important part of prayer is to remember that God is working in and thru the lives of the people you associate with, or live around, or are near. If there's someone you've been praying for a long time & dot see any evidence of God working (2 wks. Ago - "passionate, persistant prayer") and you want to give up and say “forget it, prayer doesn't work, I'm just wasting my breath”
Be assured God is working – you just cant see it.
Keep praying until one of three things change: either God has changed me –
the situation – or person, so keep praying!
How do I pray for others? Look at the prayers of Paul.
What should you pray for these others – write down a couple.
6th: REQUEST spiritual protection from God (PROTECTION)
“And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.”
Matthew 6:13
For those who have claimed Christ – those who are Christ-followers – everyday we face a battle, Satan is real, the devil is real – He wants to defeat us thru temptation and fear. If I spend time daily w/ God praying for protection – putting on the spiritual armor – when walking out onto the battlefield (which is our 'day') – it makes me aware of the evil I will encounter, that will come my way. If we're not aware we often get caught in a trap, in a snare. But if you ask the Lord to make you aware of it – if you ask for His protection, your mind is ready & you wont go down the wrong path as easy.
This is just an outline we can use – do it daily. This is the only way we can communicate w/God. He has a # of ways, Bible, Holy Spirit w/in us, and more. So hang out w/ Him daily. This is a guideline HOW
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Can You Hear Me Now? - Passionate, Persistent Prayer
Quite often in moments of pain or fear we cry out to God & often the ? Becomes, “Can God hear me? Does He even hear me? Or we have been praying for something for quite some time & still we have not yet seen any tangible answer & again we ask, Can He even hear me? Does He hear me? Yeah He does.
Some ask, “If I dont get an answer to my prayer should I keep going or should I stop? My guess this morning is that some of you if not all of you are praying or have in the past been praying (and maybe stopped) for someone or something for an extremely long time.
Singles say, I have been praying for a God-loving person to form a relationship with for a long time – some that are married may be going through rough stretch in marriage & thinking about calling it quits – others have been praying to get pregnant, been trying, & trying, and praying and praying – others have been praying for a healing (self or someone) – others for a turn around in their career or develop a career – been praying and praying and praying & wonder if you've really been heard. Jesus told this story in Luke 18
"Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: "In a certain town there was a judgewho neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' " vs.1-5
2 kinds of stories in the Bible – stories that have to do with contrast and stories of comparison. Stories of comparison say “this is what God is like"
then there are stories of contrast – This story in Luke 18 is a story of contrast – God our Father in heaven is not like this judge.The point is this: If a man who really doesnt care a whole lot about you will help you out – how much MORE will your loving Father God in heaven want to help you out with your wants and needs. - “Then Jesus used this story to teach his followers that they should alwayspray and never give up.” Luke 18:1
Alternatives in Life
PRAY or GIVE UP
You get the choice (isnt God cool – it's up to you) you can pray or give up. When the job is not all it's cracked up to be – when your marriage appears to be on the rocks – doing everything known to humanity to have a baby, desiring a healing, you name it When push comes to shove you get 2 Alternatives – pray or give up. If life is beating you up, God wants to answer your prayers. The ? Then is “Why should I be persistent in my praying?'
Praying without Ceasing!
1.Persistent praying HELPS me to FOCUS on God
“Go to the Lord for help and worship him continually.”Psalm 105:4
When I pray for something over and over and over again it's not to remind God – He doesnt need reminding. It's to remind ME of who the source of all blessing is & God wants me to see Him and Him alone as that source. (Its not a blackmail thing – like the judge in our story)So that God will say, “OK, Ok enough” He wants us to recognize that He is the source – cause when it comes to pain, and hurt, and problems we'll go to everyone else, we'll look to our spouse, sibling, family, friend, counseling, even the government. God says, I want you to look to Me.
“Your heavenly Father already knows perfectly well that youneed these things, and He will give them to you if you giveHim first place in your life and live as he wants you to.” Matthew 6:32-33
He already knows my needs before I even ask Him.
Stormie Omartian - "God knows your every thought and desire, but He responds to your prayes."
2.Persistent praying CLARIFIES my request
A delayed answer gives me time to kinda clarify what I really do need. Most of our prayers are pretty vague until a problem occurs. “Oh God do nice things for me” Waiting on an answer can help define our prayers & make them more specific. The more specific we are (I believe) the quicker the response from God. “I (God) will test them as gold is tested. Then they will pray and I will answer them.” Zechariah 13:9
A DELAY is not a DENIAL! God is saying, Not yet.
A delay separates a DEEP longing from a mere WISH!
If I cant pray about it more than once it must not be that big of a deal.
Let's get honest here – think about this, If you got every prayer answered instantly, would it be a good thing or a bad thing?
3.Persistent praying PREPARES me for the answer
It gets me ready. A little secret here – God usually wants to answer your prayer even better than what you're praying. He wants to answer in a greater way that we are asking. I think way to often we pull the ripcord and bail out to quick on issues & situations were praying for, because we dont receive a fast enough answer. We jump to our own hasty decisions. (emotions get involved) It may even be a good idea, but not a God idea. So what God may be wanting to do (I know in my life) is He's wanting to change me first before the circumstances.
Bumper sticker: Prayer Changes things – true – but prayer changes me in the process. God says, Im gonna give you an answer but 1st I want you to change your outlook or approach to this.
“Now, glory be to God, who by his mighty power atwork within us, is able to do far more than we wouldever dare to ask or even dream of...infinitely beyond ourhighest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes.” Ephesians 3:20
Prayer is not a tug-of-war where you are pleading with God, “Oh please do this, oh please do that” - God wants to do it already but sometimes He's waiting for something way bigger than we could imagine. He says, Think of the biggest dream you can think of & I can top that. So often He's waiting on US. When His answer comes – it is truly a miracle
“If a child asks his father for bread will he be given a stoneinstead? If he asks for fish will he be given a poisonous snake? Ofcourse not! If you...know how to give good gifts to your children,won’t your Father in heaven even more certainly give good gifts tothose who ask Him for them?” Matthew 7:9-11
4.Persistent praying STRENGTHENS my faith
Faith is like a muscle – it develops when we stretch it, when we work it out. And what persistent praying does is it's a faith building exercise. Waiting is a test of faith. How long can you wait? Waiting can develop your faith – strengthen your faith. It is a mark of maturity. God is greater than any pain or any problem in my life – He is soverign – He has it all under control.
“We must not become tired of doing good. We willreceive our harvest of eternal life at the right time. We must not give up!” Galatians 6:9
receive: it is a certainity. The Bible is full of examples of people who had to wait, to hang in there, in order to see God act – to keep on keeping on until they saw God do His thing.
“...when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:8 What is God saying?
The LENGTH of my persistence is EVIDENCE of my faith
The SIZE of my prayers determines the SIZE of my GOD
little things = little God – med. = med. God – BIG = BIG GOD
Faith and prayer go together.I want you to think about right now something you've been praying for – for a long time. Get that in your mind. Now as you think about that look at this outline (go over points)
Verizon "Can you hear me Now?" Commercial: We go to great lengths to be able to connect w/ another human being – just another human. BUT how often do we give up when it comes to talking to the Almighty God. To what lengths do we go?
How do we pray persistently:
“I tell you, continue to ask, and God will give to you.Continue to search, and you will find. Continue toknock, and the door will open for you.” Luke 11:9
God is saying, keep asking.
Has anyone here ever been to someones elses house before? Do you knock once and leave? No... we knock for a while - we're persistent, we think there might be some surrounding circumstances keeping them from the door... bathroom?
How many other circumstances are out there that we know nothing about that God is factoring into our requests. Keep on asking, searching, knocking
The Question: How QUICKLY do I GIVE UP when I don’t get an answer?
When I feel like giving up, don’t DESPAIR turn toPRAYER!
Sunday, April 17, 2005
AT YOUR SERVICE - FOCUS Friendly
When we go out to a rest., or hotel, or where ever, we expect good/great service. It is often the service that draws us back –
put's the business/org. over the top above it's competition.
Great service is just as important in the local church –
we have eternity at stake
Maybe 1st time here? Dont tune out b/c you'll see what it means to be
a true Christ follower & what FOCUS* is all about. This is for everyone.
WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?
Serving expresses the Heart of God
God is not out to get something from us, the very nature of God is to
give something. When U & I serve we are expressing the heart of God.
Quite often when we go to a church or begin attending.
Quite often the ? Becomes, “What does this place have for me?”
That's OK for a season, for a while.
But eventually, we need to move from, “What's in it for me?” to
“It's not about me”
When we say, “It's not about me” we are expressing the heart of God.
When we think of God and the Bible – the most popular vs. that comes
to mind for a # of reasons is Jn. 3:16,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
The very heart of God is to serve
When we serve we are expressing the heart of God.
Read Matt. 20:20-28
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their
high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead,
whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave– just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:25-28
Christ followers become one with God – b/c of Christ we are now joined
with Him & His heart becomes our heart. His heart is to serve.
It is a shift we make – of how we see ourselves – it's an identity change.
“Our heart is that we have His heart”
Serving makes the church work
This is not a modern concept – if you go back to the early church,
the 1st church, 1 of the things you'll discover about that church is
that it was growing rapidly. Jesus had ascended to Heaven and the disciples who were with Him while He was on Earth, now it was their job to teach, preach, vision cast, and lead the early church. Not only were they doing
all of that, the bible tells us in Acts 6 they were also waiting tables.
They were helping to serve the food to the widows who needed to eat.
Now that's an important job that has to be done, but the Apostles found themselves out of time. They couldn't do the things God had called them
to do, designed them to do, what they were SHAPEd to do & to wait tables also.
Now I know this may surprise you, you may find this hard to believe
but the bible says the people complained – I cant imagine that.
People in the church were complaining, “Hey that was a great message
you guys taught, but you're lousy at waiting tables –
What's the deal with you guys?”
The apostles got together and had to rethink how they were going to set up
the church. This is not working let's make some changes –
Look at Acts 6 with me
“So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would
not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to
be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”
Acts 6:2-4
What a brilliant move they made, but how simple it is.
All they said was, “God has called us to preach & teach so were going to delegate ministry to the people in the church so they can take care of
the day 2 day operations. The bible says once they did that, chose those 7 individuals & gave them the opportunity to serve - the church grew rapidly, not only did it grow rapidly but people were coming to know the love and forgiveness of Christ Jesus.
W/in our Church here – as the staff gives opportunities for others in this church to serve – those serving will be on the front lines. The people
who are visiting our church for the 1st time will see the people of this church who are serving before anything else, before they hear any music, before any message is given. Barna research group study:
1st time guests make up their mind about the church in 11 minutes. WOW!
That proves the importance of being a church that is FOCUS Friendly.
A community known by Love.
Serving makes the church work – it's a tag team effort –
it's another way we partner together.
Serving leads to maturity
Let's say Matt wants to become a world class body builder –
he has the body for it, but not the desire.
He goes to the gym, puts on his gloves, stretches, gets ready and
then just sits there – looking at the weights. Matt comments, “Hmmm that weight looks heavy – Ewww that weight looks even heavier” He looks at
the guy next to him and says come on buddy you can do it – and to another
guy he gives advice on how to correct their weight lifting technique.
(do you ever see or hear something similar in the church)
A bit later we hear Matt complains that he's not getting any stronger
or toning at all. Obviously he never picked up a weight. (begin to wonder who's the dumbbell here) The problem is he never picked up a weight.
This teaches us a very important truth in life. We dont make strides
in any area of our lives just sitting there.
We've got to get busy, we've got to make an effort, we have to do a little exercise.
The same is true for us spiritually. Some folks will say, I want a deeper connection w/ God, I want to experience God, I want to have this richness
in my faith, but then just sit there. You see God will do His part, but we still have to do our part, we have to hold up our end of the bargin. We have to read our bibles, to talk to God, come to church, worship, apply what I've learned and...listen... I must serve! Serving leads to maturity.
It's a part of the puzzle, a part of the formula
“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-13
This speaks of a deeper relationship with God, To experience God, to have a richness in our faith. HOW? In serving
Serving leads to maturity
"A person starts to live when he can live outside himself"
Einstein Quote
put's the business/org. over the top above it's competition.
Great service is just as important in the local church –
we have eternity at stake
Maybe 1st time here? Dont tune out b/c you'll see what it means to be
a true Christ follower & what FOCUS* is all about. This is for everyone.
WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?
Serving expresses the Heart of God
God is not out to get something from us, the very nature of God is to
give something. When U & I serve we are expressing the heart of God.
Quite often when we go to a church or begin attending.
Quite often the ? Becomes, “What does this place have for me?”
That's OK for a season, for a while.
But eventually, we need to move from, “What's in it for me?” to
“It's not about me”
When we say, “It's not about me” we are expressing the heart of God.
When we think of God and the Bible – the most popular vs. that comes
to mind for a # of reasons is Jn. 3:16,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
The very heart of God is to serve
When we serve we are expressing the heart of God.
Read Matt. 20:20-28
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their
high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead,
whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave– just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:25-28
Christ followers become one with God – b/c of Christ we are now joined
with Him & His heart becomes our heart. His heart is to serve.
It is a shift we make – of how we see ourselves – it's an identity change.
“Our heart is that we have His heart”
Serving makes the church work
This is not a modern concept – if you go back to the early church,
the 1st church, 1 of the things you'll discover about that church is
that it was growing rapidly. Jesus had ascended to Heaven and the disciples who were with Him while He was on Earth, now it was their job to teach, preach, vision cast, and lead the early church. Not only were they doing
all of that, the bible tells us in Acts 6 they were also waiting tables.
They were helping to serve the food to the widows who needed to eat.
Now that's an important job that has to be done, but the Apostles found themselves out of time. They couldn't do the things God had called them
to do, designed them to do, what they were SHAPEd to do & to wait tables also.
Now I know this may surprise you, you may find this hard to believe
but the bible says the people complained – I cant imagine that.
People in the church were complaining, “Hey that was a great message
you guys taught, but you're lousy at waiting tables –
What's the deal with you guys?”
The apostles got together and had to rethink how they were going to set up
the church. This is not working let's make some changes –
Look at Acts 6 with me
“So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would
not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to
be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”
Acts 6:2-4
What a brilliant move they made, but how simple it is.
All they said was, “God has called us to preach & teach so were going to delegate ministry to the people in the church so they can take care of
the day 2 day operations. The bible says once they did that, chose those 7 individuals & gave them the opportunity to serve - the church grew rapidly, not only did it grow rapidly but people were coming to know the love and forgiveness of Christ Jesus.
W/in our Church here – as the staff gives opportunities for others in this church to serve – those serving will be on the front lines. The people
who are visiting our church for the 1st time will see the people of this church who are serving before anything else, before they hear any music, before any message is given. Barna research group study:
1st time guests make up their mind about the church in 11 minutes. WOW!
That proves the importance of being a church that is FOCUS Friendly.
A community known by Love.
Serving makes the church work – it's a tag team effort –
it's another way we partner together.
Serving leads to maturity
Let's say Matt wants to become a world class body builder –
he has the body for it, but not the desire.
He goes to the gym, puts on his gloves, stretches, gets ready and
then just sits there – looking at the weights. Matt comments, “Hmmm that weight looks heavy – Ewww that weight looks even heavier” He looks at
the guy next to him and says come on buddy you can do it – and to another
guy he gives advice on how to correct their weight lifting technique.
(do you ever see or hear something similar in the church)
A bit later we hear Matt complains that he's not getting any stronger
or toning at all. Obviously he never picked up a weight. (begin to wonder who's the dumbbell here) The problem is he never picked up a weight.
This teaches us a very important truth in life. We dont make strides
in any area of our lives just sitting there.
We've got to get busy, we've got to make an effort, we have to do a little exercise.
The same is true for us spiritually. Some folks will say, I want a deeper connection w/ God, I want to experience God, I want to have this richness
in my faith, but then just sit there. You see God will do His part, but we still have to do our part, we have to hold up our end of the bargin. We have to read our bibles, to talk to God, come to church, worship, apply what I've learned and...listen... I must serve! Serving leads to maturity.
It's a part of the puzzle, a part of the formula
“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-13
This speaks of a deeper relationship with God, To experience God, to have a richness in our faith. HOW? In serving
Serving leads to maturity
"A person starts to live when he can live outside himself"
Einstein Quote
Sunday, April 10, 2005
AT YOUR SERVICE - Discover Your DESIGN
God has a purpose and a plan for everyone.
“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD ,
"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope
and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
Regardless of our past, He has a plan. It doesn't matter if I am a
brand new Christ follower, or if I've been a Christian for 50 yrs.
There are no age requirements - 5 or 85 each person has a purpose
and a plan.
Only you can be you.
God designed each of us so there would be no duplication
in the world. No one has the exact same mix of factors that make you
unique. That means no one else on earth will ever be able to play
the role God planned for you.
“God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus,
God made us to do good works, which God planned
in advance for us to live our lives doing.”
Ephesians 2:10
You were shaped for serving God and others
“Your hands shaped me and made me” Job 10:8
How God Shapes you for serving:
S piritual gifts
H eart/ passion
A bilities
P ersonality
E xperiences
Unwrap You Spiritual Gifts
God gives every believer spiritual gifts to serve others.
These are special God-empowered abilities for serving that are
given only to believers. (Romans 12, 1 Cor. 12, and Eph.4)
We cannot earn them or deserve them – that's why their gifts!
Your gifts are not given to you for your benefit but to benefit others.
“A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church.” 1 Cor. 12:7
Do you know yours?
Mine are: Teaching, Pastor, Exhorter, Leadership
We have a test for you if you need it.
Your gifts reveal one key to discovering the direction God has for you in serving others. Your S.P. Are not the total picture, there's more.
Listen to your Heart
The bible uses the term 'heart' to describe the bundle of desires,
interests, ambitions, dreams, and affections you have. Your heart is the source of all your motivation. Proverbs 27:19 - “As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the person.”
Your heart reveals the real you – who you truly are (some of you right
now are thinking, “Eww, that's scary) It reveals the real you,
not what others think about you, or what circumstances force you to be.
Your heart determines why you say the things you do, why you feel the
way you do, and why you act the way you do.
We all have a unique heartbeat - no ones heartbeat is the same as
anyone else's.
In the same way God has given each of us a unique “emotional” heartbeat
that just races when we think about certain subjects, or activities, or circumstances that interest us. We instinctively care about some things
and not about others.
These are clues for us to think about where we should be serving.
Another word for heart is Passion. What are you passionate about?
What experiences capture your attention, you get really excited about?
What makes you pound the table if someone is coming from a complete
opposite direction.
These reveal the nature of your heart.
“Serve the Lord with all your heart.” Romans 1:9
This is God's design – He did this on purpose. He wants you to serve
in the areas that make your heart go “piter pater” He did that on purpose –
He wants you to serve Him passionately, not dutifully.
People rarely excel at tasks they do not enjoy.
How do I know I'm serving with all my heart?
Are you enthusiastic?
Does it motivate and challenge you? You dont need rewards or
applause b/c you love it.
Are you effective?
Are you good at it? That passion drives toward perfection.
Figure out what you love to do – what God gave you a heart to do – and then do it for His glory.
Apply your Abilities
Your abilities are the natural talents you were born with.
Some people have a natural ability with words: they came out of the womb talkin' Others have natural athletic abilities,
still others are good at mathematics, or music, or mechanics.
All of abilities come from God
Even abilities used to sin are God-given; there are just misused or abused. “God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well.” Romans 12:6
Every ability can be used for God
“...whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Cor. 10:31
The bible is filled with examples of different abilities that people used
to serve God and others - artistic ability, admin, baking, boat making, designing, fishing, needle work, being a soldier, the list goes on and on...
The bible says, “There are different abilities to perform service, but the same God gives ability to all for their particular service.”
1 Cor. 12:6
God has a place for you where you 'specialties' can shine and make a difference.
When it comes to discovering God's will for our lives,
and serving Him and others, we should seriously examine what
we are good at and what were not good at.
You've got Personality
I'm not sure we always consider how truly unique each of us are –
until we start unraveling our amazing DNA structure. Your uniqueness
is a scientific fact. When God made you, He broke the mold.
There never has been, and never will be anybody exactly like you.
You are very special. I think some of you need to know that this morning
– you are very special – let that sink in.
It's obvious God likes variety – just look around you at the unique combination of personality traits.
God made introverts and extroverts. He made people who love routine
and those who love variety. He made some people thinkers, and others are feelers. Some work well alone, others excel in a group project.
We all have different personality profiles. The bible gives plenty of proof that God uses all types of personalities. Peter was a Sanguine. Paul was a Choleric. Jeremiah was a Melancholy. When you look at the 12 disciples,
it's easy to see why they sometimes had interpersonal conflict. There is no right or wrong temperament – They all work in serving. Remember, God created us the way we are on purpose.
We have a personality profile test to give you if you do not know what yours is exactly. We can recommend some resources to dig deeper if you like.
“Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous--and how well I know it.” Psalm 139:14
You are wonderfully weird!
When we understand our personality temperament it helps determine
our SHAPE and direction to serve others.
Employ your Experiences
We have been shaped by our experiences in life. Most of which were
beyond our control. God allowed them for His purpose of molding us. In determining our SHAPE for serving God and others, we need to examine the experiences of our past.
Family experiences – What did you learn growing up in your family?
Educational exper. - What were your favorite subjects in school?
Vocational exper. - What jobs have you been most effective in and enjoyed most?
Spiritual exper. - What have been your most meaningful times with God?
Ministry exper. - How have you served God and others in the past?
Painful exper. - What problems, hurts, thorns, and trials have you learned from?
This involves some work on our part. It will take a bit of time,
we may rehash some things we don't, but that's okay. Let me say this, that last category, painful – that God seems to use the most to prepare us
to serve Him and others. God never wastes a hurt!
Who better to minister to the parents of a Down Syndrome child than,
... Who could better help an alcoholic recover than, ... who better to
comfort a wife whose husband has left her for an affair than, ...
God allows us to go thru painful exper. to equip us to be able to
minister to others.
“He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” 2 Cor. 1:4
If you really desired to be used by God, you must understand a
powerful truth: The very experiences that you have resented or regretted
most in life – the ones you've wanted to hide and forget –
are the experiences God wants to use to help others.
They are your ministry – they help determine our SHAPE.
Dont waste a single experience, use it to help others.
One more thing...
Service is the pathway to real significance
“Each of us finds our meaning & function as a part of His body.”
Rom. 12:5
“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD ,
"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope
and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
Regardless of our past, He has a plan. It doesn't matter if I am a
brand new Christ follower, or if I've been a Christian for 50 yrs.
There are no age requirements - 5 or 85 each person has a purpose
and a plan.
Only you can be you.
God designed each of us so there would be no duplication
in the world. No one has the exact same mix of factors that make you
unique. That means no one else on earth will ever be able to play
the role God planned for you.
“God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus,
God made us to do good works, which God planned
in advance for us to live our lives doing.”
Ephesians 2:10
You were shaped for serving God and others
“Your hands shaped me and made me” Job 10:8
How God Shapes you for serving:
S piritual gifts
H eart/ passion
A bilities
P ersonality
E xperiences
Unwrap You Spiritual Gifts
God gives every believer spiritual gifts to serve others.
These are special God-empowered abilities for serving that are
given only to believers. (Romans 12, 1 Cor. 12, and Eph.4)
We cannot earn them or deserve them – that's why their gifts!
Your gifts are not given to you for your benefit but to benefit others.
“A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church.” 1 Cor. 12:7
Do you know yours?
Mine are: Teaching, Pastor, Exhorter, Leadership
We have a test for you if you need it.
Your gifts reveal one key to discovering the direction God has for you in serving others. Your S.P. Are not the total picture, there's more.
Listen to your Heart
The bible uses the term 'heart' to describe the bundle of desires,
interests, ambitions, dreams, and affections you have. Your heart is the source of all your motivation. Proverbs 27:19 - “As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the person.”
Your heart reveals the real you – who you truly are (some of you right
now are thinking, “Eww, that's scary) It reveals the real you,
not what others think about you, or what circumstances force you to be.
Your heart determines why you say the things you do, why you feel the
way you do, and why you act the way you do.
We all have a unique heartbeat - no ones heartbeat is the same as
anyone else's.
In the same way God has given each of us a unique “emotional” heartbeat
that just races when we think about certain subjects, or activities, or circumstances that interest us. We instinctively care about some things
and not about others.
These are clues for us to think about where we should be serving.
Another word for heart is Passion. What are you passionate about?
What experiences capture your attention, you get really excited about?
What makes you pound the table if someone is coming from a complete
opposite direction.
These reveal the nature of your heart.
“Serve the Lord with all your heart.” Romans 1:9
This is God's design – He did this on purpose. He wants you to serve
in the areas that make your heart go “piter pater” He did that on purpose –
He wants you to serve Him passionately, not dutifully.
People rarely excel at tasks they do not enjoy.
How do I know I'm serving with all my heart?
Are you enthusiastic?
Does it motivate and challenge you? You dont need rewards or
applause b/c you love it.
Are you effective?
Are you good at it? That passion drives toward perfection.
Figure out what you love to do – what God gave you a heart to do – and then do it for His glory.
Apply your Abilities
Your abilities are the natural talents you were born with.
Some people have a natural ability with words: they came out of the womb talkin' Others have natural athletic abilities,
still others are good at mathematics, or music, or mechanics.
All of abilities come from God
Even abilities used to sin are God-given; there are just misused or abused. “God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well.” Romans 12:6
Every ability can be used for God
“...whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Cor. 10:31
The bible is filled with examples of different abilities that people used
to serve God and others - artistic ability, admin, baking, boat making, designing, fishing, needle work, being a soldier, the list goes on and on...
The bible says, “There are different abilities to perform service, but the same God gives ability to all for their particular service.”
1 Cor. 12:6
God has a place for you where you 'specialties' can shine and make a difference.
When it comes to discovering God's will for our lives,
and serving Him and others, we should seriously examine what
we are good at and what were not good at.
You've got Personality
I'm not sure we always consider how truly unique each of us are –
until we start unraveling our amazing DNA structure. Your uniqueness
is a scientific fact. When God made you, He broke the mold.
There never has been, and never will be anybody exactly like you.
You are very special. I think some of you need to know that this morning
– you are very special – let that sink in.
It's obvious God likes variety – just look around you at the unique combination of personality traits.
God made introverts and extroverts. He made people who love routine
and those who love variety. He made some people thinkers, and others are feelers. Some work well alone, others excel in a group project.
We all have different personality profiles. The bible gives plenty of proof that God uses all types of personalities. Peter was a Sanguine. Paul was a Choleric. Jeremiah was a Melancholy. When you look at the 12 disciples,
it's easy to see why they sometimes had interpersonal conflict. There is no right or wrong temperament – They all work in serving. Remember, God created us the way we are on purpose.
We have a personality profile test to give you if you do not know what yours is exactly. We can recommend some resources to dig deeper if you like.
“Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous--and how well I know it.” Psalm 139:14
You are wonderfully weird!
When we understand our personality temperament it helps determine
our SHAPE and direction to serve others.
Employ your Experiences
We have been shaped by our experiences in life. Most of which were
beyond our control. God allowed them for His purpose of molding us. In determining our SHAPE for serving God and others, we need to examine the experiences of our past.
Family experiences – What did you learn growing up in your family?
Educational exper. - What were your favorite subjects in school?
Vocational exper. - What jobs have you been most effective in and enjoyed most?
Spiritual exper. - What have been your most meaningful times with God?
Ministry exper. - How have you served God and others in the past?
Painful exper. - What problems, hurts, thorns, and trials have you learned from?
This involves some work on our part. It will take a bit of time,
we may rehash some things we don't, but that's okay. Let me say this, that last category, painful – that God seems to use the most to prepare us
to serve Him and others. God never wastes a hurt!
Who better to minister to the parents of a Down Syndrome child than,
... Who could better help an alcoholic recover than, ... who better to
comfort a wife whose husband has left her for an affair than, ...
God allows us to go thru painful exper. to equip us to be able to
minister to others.
“He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” 2 Cor. 1:4
If you really desired to be used by God, you must understand a
powerful truth: The very experiences that you have resented or regretted
most in life – the ones you've wanted to hide and forget –
are the experiences God wants to use to help others.
They are your ministry – they help determine our SHAPE.
Dont waste a single experience, use it to help others.
One more thing...
Service is the pathway to real significance
“Each of us finds our meaning & function as a part of His body.”
Rom. 12:5
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
AT YOUR SERVICE - To be Known by LOVE
"Love others as much as you love yourself." Matthew 22:39
Love is a romantic word. More songs have been written about
love than any other subject or word in the world. Would there
even be a movie industry w/out love? There is an entire genre
called romance novels because people so desperately long for love.
Yet as much as we talk about it & claim to build our lives around it,
love is actually a rare commodity. Most of what we call love falls into
other categories: from like to lust, “I love your shoes” or
“I love “The Simpsons” - from passion to possession. “I love the Houston Astros” or “I'd love to own that car” - We have been so inundated w/ love imitations that we've become blind to what love is really about.
In the end How does love manifest itself?
In Sacrifice
Jesus told us the way the world would know we are His followers is
if we love one another.
"A new command I give you: Love one another.
As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
By this all men will know that you are my disciples,
if you love one another." John 13:34-35
To be known by LOVE.
We see love in sacrifice.
How do the relationships that we are involved in grow?
How do the relationships that we are involved in grow?
In Sacrifice.
We turn away from our own selfish wants and desires and we sacrifice
what we may want to do, or where to go, or where not to go – WHY?
We turn away from our own selfish wants and desires and we sacrifice
what we may want to do, or where to go, or where not to go – WHY?
It is purely done out of love.
Notes from an anonymous journal:
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a
hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering
from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared
to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had
miraculously survived the same disease and had developed antibodies
needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her
little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes, I'll do it if it will save her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did,
seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice,
"Will I start to die right away?" Being young, the little boy had
misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save his sister.
Now that’s Sacrifice. That’s being known by LOVE.
In John 15:13, Jesus gives us the practical expression of love. He says,
“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for
his friends.” Ofcourse, Jesus was speaking of his own death,
explaining that his sacrifice would be the ultimate expression for
the love of all humanity.
The church erupted out of an act of love. It shouldn't surprise us
that the church only moves toward God when it is fueled by love.
Listen... in a world of imitations, real love draws a crowd. It stands out.
It is undeniable. It is defining.
That being the case, What is the practical expression of love?
Servanthood
his friends.” Ofcourse, Jesus was speaking of his own death,
explaining that his sacrifice would be the ultimate expression for
the love of all humanity.
The church erupted out of an act of love. It shouldn't surprise us
that the church only moves toward God when it is fueled by love.
Listen... in a world of imitations, real love draws a crowd. It stands out.
It is undeniable. It is defining.
That being the case, What is the practical expression of love?
Servanthood
It is impossible to come close to God and not have love overwhelm you.
And when we realize that the practical expression of love is servanthood,
love begins to change everything about your relationships. In fact,
this is the one amazing things about God: He loves to serve.
In John 13 when Jesus tied a towel around his waist and began washing his disciples feet, this was not an extraordinary act for God but right in line with who He is. Jesus Christ was a servant. He was doing nothing more than expressing the serving heart of God.
“... the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve...” Matt. 20:28
People matter to God, so... People matter to us.
I have made the mistake of passing judgment on others. Have you?
We tend to make these armchair assessments of who God has use for and
who He doesn't.
Jesus made it clear of the value each person has a # of times,
but one that stands out for me was a conversation He had on the cross.
Luke 23:32-43
32 There were also two criminals led out with Jesus to be put to death. 33 When they came to a place called the Skull, the soldiers crucified Jesus and the criminals -- one on his right and the other on his left.....
38 At the top of the cross these words were written: this is the king of
the jews. 39 One of the criminals on a cross began to shout insults at Jesus: "Aren't you the Christ? Then save yourself and us." 40 But the
other criminal stopped him and said, "You should fear God! You are getting
the same punishment he is. 41 We are punished justly, getting what we
deserve for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong." 42 Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." 43 Jesus said
to him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
Think about this – while they were hanging on crosses one of them
launched into a verbal tirade.
The other thief opened his eyes to what was really happening –
he realized in a short amount of time he was about to face eternity,
and he was painfully aware of the kind of life he had lived. So he yells to the other criminal to SHUT UP! Can't you see what's goin on here –
we derserve to die but this man doesn't. He looked to Christ and said
"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." in essence he was saying, I know this sounds like a silly question, but could somebody like me, who has committed the sins I've committed, who has not exactly been a great guy, I have treated people like garbage, could somebody like me, still matter to anybody?
What did Jesus say? Without hesitation, He assured this man,
“You matter far more than you can even imagine. And because of your faith
and you tender spirit, you'll meet up with me a little later today in paradise, where we'll be together for eternity.
Sometimes it tough to comprehend that kind of compassion,
that kind of love. But that's exactly what God wants us to be like –
He said it is that kind of love that will show people you are my followers.
It is that kind of love that marks you as a follower of Christ.
Love produces servanthood
Servanthood sees sacrifice as a privilege
Whenever we are known by love, God's reputation is intact.
When people see our love and sacrifice for others it shows that this is real.
It shows that "Christianity" is legit. What do people think and say when
we dont show God's love towards others - when were only concerned about
ourselves, when we expect everyone to just fall right in line with us -
They think were hypocritical and phoney's.
When love erupts in the hearts of God's people,
they become the servants of a lost and broken world.
And the world will see
May we be known by LOVE
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