Sunday, July 30, 2006
Spiritual Warfare
“Ready for Battle?”
Introduction:
Today we’re going to turn our attention to the topic of spiritual warfare, which is always timely in the life of a Christian. Especially when things are going well in a ministry, or when you’ve been growing spiritually, that’s when Satan steps up his attack. Satan would like nothing better than to destroy the ministry, and to beat you down with his attacks of doubt and discouragement. He knows he can’t destroy the ministry, so he tries to take out as many members as he can, one by one, until as many people as possible are neutralized, inactive, on the sidelines, joyless and passionless for the Lord. But the good news is that God has empowered us to rise above and overcome these attacks, and to be victorious in Christ. Through Christ, we have been given authority over Satan, and we’ve got to learn to be ready and willing to stand up and take that authority (often through prayer). God is calling us to be on guard, pro-active, and vigilant – not scared, because we have the victory! Today we will examine some biblical tips on being “ready for battle.” Are YOU ready for battle? Well, here are 4 things you need to do…
1) IDENTIFY THE ENEMY
(Read Ephesians 6:12)
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Stop wasting time and energy fighting PEOPLE who are not your enemy. The enemy is Satan, and his evil forces in the world. So don’t waste your time getting caught up in a lot of drama with people. (Your real battle needs to be fought through prayer. Love the people, hate evil. Considering people as your enemy only diminishes your ability to spread love and be Christ-like like we’ve been instructed to.
(Read II Timothy 2:24-26)
And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
We need to treat our fellow man with patience and compassion, so that we can encourage them into the Kingdom of God. You can’t teach someone that you’re arguing with. Even people that give us a hard time are not our enemy. They have been trapped by Satan – he is the enemy, not the people we come in contact with. Get mad at the one who deceived them, and work to help them find Christ and get set free!
Fighting spiritual warfare is not like a boxing match. The enemy is unseen. Rule of thumb: if you can SEE them, love them! If someone is visible, he must not be your enemy…
(Read I Peter 5:8)
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Be aware of Satan and don’t let down your guard, because Satan certainly doesn’t let up. When you start seriously growing as a Christian and get active in ministry, you move up on “Satan’s Most Wanted” list (some of you all are probably on wanted posters in Hell – charged with 37 counts of witnessing, 88 counts of leading worship, etc.). Be so familiar with God’s Word that you can recognize Satan and his influence from a long way off. Remember that Satan came to steal, kill and destroy. If he can’t kill you, he at least wants to destroy your witness and your enthusiasm for God. He uses your own emotions and your own desires to devour you, by getting you to live according to your flesh instead of by the Spirit. Being self-controlled means having control over your flesh and not living according to fleshly feelings and impulses. Live by the truth of God’s Word! And don’t forget to pray for your brothers and sisters – don’t just let them lay there getting chewed on by “the lion” when they are under spiritual attack.
2) RECOGNIZE YOUR OWN VULNERABILITY AND PUT ON YOUR ARMOR!
None of us are invincible, no matter how great we sometimes think we are. We are reminded of this in I Corinthians 10:12, which states:
(Read I Corinthians 10:12)
So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall.
It’s tragic but I’ve often seen people “fall” spiritually, who just a week or a month earlier were saying they were at a spiritual high point. They weren’t spiritually prepared to make it through tough times. Don’t get overconfident – pride comes before the fall, just when you think you’re “so holy.” Stay humble and realize that spiritual growth means more spiritual warfare, and that you are vulnerable and need God’s help and strength to overcome. There will be days with doubts and discouragement, but you’ll rise above them as you stick with God. Realize that you can’t defend yourself spiritually on your own – you need what God alone can provide.
(Read Ephesians 6:10-11,13)
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes… Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Without the armor of God, you are defenseless against Satan’s schemes. But with God’s armor, you can stand strong and overcome the lies, deceptions, doubts, and discouragements. It is absolute arrogance to think you don’t need the armor (if you don’t need the armor then you must be on Satan’s side since he’s not attacking you) – or that it’s enough to just know about it, without putting it on. (Review the various pieces of God’s armor from Ephesians 6).
3) RECOGNIZE THE ENEMY’S STRATEGY
Satan’s main strategy involves lies, deception, and confusion. The Holy Spirit will never “confuse” you – Satan is the “author of confusion.” In John, Satan is called a “liar” and the “father of lies.” It says that when he’s lying, he’s speaking his native language! (John 8:44). His job is to blind you and deceive you, usually by getting you to think selfishly and live a self-centered life, and to doubt God. Remember what happened in the Garden of Eden?
(Genesis 3:1-5)
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Satan wants us to question God and live only for ourselves. When those types of thoughts start hitting your mind, recognize where those thoughts are coming from, rebuke them, and turn to the Lord, through reading His Word and praying to get back in the right mindset. Satan will tell you to stay away from God and to stay away from your Christian brothers and sisters during those times, because he wants to isolate you, and divide and conquer. Satan will make you feel ashamed that you are backsliding. God, on the other hand, loves and forgives no matter what, and during those difficult times you should come to your brothers and sisters and discuss your doubts/discouragements openly. That way you can receive Godly counsel, the encouragement that comes from the body of Christ, and continue obediently serving God no matter what you feel like. And that leads us to the last point…
4) KEEP CARRYING OUT YOUR ASSIGNMENT NO MATTER WHAT
As the spiritual warfare rages on, don’t ever let Satan’s attacks stop you from obeying God for even one minute. I don’t care what you feel like, what the circumstances look like, or what the people around you are saying – never waver from persevering in the eternally-meaningful calling/assignment that God has given you to carry out. Don’t let Satan intimidate you out of your purpose in life. Satan wants you to be “missing in action” in God’s kingdom and to neutralize you and sideline you. But don’t use his attacks as an excuse to quit being active in ministry!
(Read I Peter 4:19)
So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
Instead of giving up (like so many unfortunately do), LOOK UP (to God for strength) and say: “Lord, I’m confused right now but I know you’re real and you’re the Truth, so I’m going to depend on Your strength to keep doing what you told me to do, no matter how I feel.”
Remember, CONFUSION IS NEVER FROM GOD, so just keep doing the last things God told you to before you got confused, because the tough times will pass. This brings to mind a great recent example of someone I know who was under heavy spiritual attack, but they were still faithful to be at every church activity, still invited people, and still served diligently just like always. And instead of the doubt and confusion getting worse, by continuing to be faithful they got over the attacks in about a week, and actually grew from the experience – instead of getting chalked up as another one of Satan’s casualties.
(Read I Peter 5:8-11)
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
James tells us to resist the devil and he will flee. That’s a spiritual law. That’s so simple, yet we often don’t do it. Stand strong, because persevering is worth it. Don’t forget the eternal perspective, and that God is right by your side to strengthen you. You’re not alone, so keep fighting the good fight!
Conclusion:
As we close today, I just want to encourage you to get equipped, stand strong, channel your righteous anger towards Satan where it belongs, and fight the spiritual battle – not only for yourself, but through prayer on behalf of others you care about. It is a battle worth fighting – a battle for your very soul!
Introduction:
Today we’re going to turn our attention to the topic of spiritual warfare, which is always timely in the life of a Christian. Especially when things are going well in a ministry, or when you’ve been growing spiritually, that’s when Satan steps up his attack. Satan would like nothing better than to destroy the ministry, and to beat you down with his attacks of doubt and discouragement. He knows he can’t destroy the ministry, so he tries to take out as many members as he can, one by one, until as many people as possible are neutralized, inactive, on the sidelines, joyless and passionless for the Lord. But the good news is that God has empowered us to rise above and overcome these attacks, and to be victorious in Christ. Through Christ, we have been given authority over Satan, and we’ve got to learn to be ready and willing to stand up and take that authority (often through prayer). God is calling us to be on guard, pro-active, and vigilant – not scared, because we have the victory! Today we will examine some biblical tips on being “ready for battle.” Are YOU ready for battle? Well, here are 4 things you need to do…
1) IDENTIFY THE ENEMY
(Read Ephesians 6:12)
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Stop wasting time and energy fighting PEOPLE who are not your enemy. The enemy is Satan, and his evil forces in the world. So don’t waste your time getting caught up in a lot of drama with people. (Your real battle needs to be fought through prayer. Love the people, hate evil. Considering people as your enemy only diminishes your ability to spread love and be Christ-like like we’ve been instructed to.
(Read II Timothy 2:24-26)
And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
We need to treat our fellow man with patience and compassion, so that we can encourage them into the Kingdom of God. You can’t teach someone that you’re arguing with. Even people that give us a hard time are not our enemy. They have been trapped by Satan – he is the enemy, not the people we come in contact with. Get mad at the one who deceived them, and work to help them find Christ and get set free!
Fighting spiritual warfare is not like a boxing match. The enemy is unseen. Rule of thumb: if you can SEE them, love them! If someone is visible, he must not be your enemy…
(Read I Peter 5:8)
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Be aware of Satan and don’t let down your guard, because Satan certainly doesn’t let up. When you start seriously growing as a Christian and get active in ministry, you move up on “Satan’s Most Wanted” list (some of you all are probably on wanted posters in Hell – charged with 37 counts of witnessing, 88 counts of leading worship, etc.). Be so familiar with God’s Word that you can recognize Satan and his influence from a long way off. Remember that Satan came to steal, kill and destroy. If he can’t kill you, he at least wants to destroy your witness and your enthusiasm for God. He uses your own emotions and your own desires to devour you, by getting you to live according to your flesh instead of by the Spirit. Being self-controlled means having control over your flesh and not living according to fleshly feelings and impulses. Live by the truth of God’s Word! And don’t forget to pray for your brothers and sisters – don’t just let them lay there getting chewed on by “the lion” when they are under spiritual attack.
2) RECOGNIZE YOUR OWN VULNERABILITY AND PUT ON YOUR ARMOR!
None of us are invincible, no matter how great we sometimes think we are. We are reminded of this in I Corinthians 10:12, which states:
(Read I Corinthians 10:12)
So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall.
It’s tragic but I’ve often seen people “fall” spiritually, who just a week or a month earlier were saying they were at a spiritual high point. They weren’t spiritually prepared to make it through tough times. Don’t get overconfident – pride comes before the fall, just when you think you’re “so holy.” Stay humble and realize that spiritual growth means more spiritual warfare, and that you are vulnerable and need God’s help and strength to overcome. There will be days with doubts and discouragement, but you’ll rise above them as you stick with God. Realize that you can’t defend yourself spiritually on your own – you need what God alone can provide.
(Read Ephesians 6:10-11,13)
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes… Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Without the armor of God, you are defenseless against Satan’s schemes. But with God’s armor, you can stand strong and overcome the lies, deceptions, doubts, and discouragements. It is absolute arrogance to think you don’t need the armor (if you don’t need the armor then you must be on Satan’s side since he’s not attacking you) – or that it’s enough to just know about it, without putting it on. (Review the various pieces of God’s armor from Ephesians 6).
3) RECOGNIZE THE ENEMY’S STRATEGY
Satan’s main strategy involves lies, deception, and confusion. The Holy Spirit will never “confuse” you – Satan is the “author of confusion.” In John, Satan is called a “liar” and the “father of lies.” It says that when he’s lying, he’s speaking his native language! (John 8:44). His job is to blind you and deceive you, usually by getting you to think selfishly and live a self-centered life, and to doubt God. Remember what happened in the Garden of Eden?
(Genesis 3:1-5)
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Satan wants us to question God and live only for ourselves. When those types of thoughts start hitting your mind, recognize where those thoughts are coming from, rebuke them, and turn to the Lord, through reading His Word and praying to get back in the right mindset. Satan will tell you to stay away from God and to stay away from your Christian brothers and sisters during those times, because he wants to isolate you, and divide and conquer. Satan will make you feel ashamed that you are backsliding. God, on the other hand, loves and forgives no matter what, and during those difficult times you should come to your brothers and sisters and discuss your doubts/discouragements openly. That way you can receive Godly counsel, the encouragement that comes from the body of Christ, and continue obediently serving God no matter what you feel like. And that leads us to the last point…
4) KEEP CARRYING OUT YOUR ASSIGNMENT NO MATTER WHAT
As the spiritual warfare rages on, don’t ever let Satan’s attacks stop you from obeying God for even one minute. I don’t care what you feel like, what the circumstances look like, or what the people around you are saying – never waver from persevering in the eternally-meaningful calling/assignment that God has given you to carry out. Don’t let Satan intimidate you out of your purpose in life. Satan wants you to be “missing in action” in God’s kingdom and to neutralize you and sideline you. But don’t use his attacks as an excuse to quit being active in ministry!
(Read I Peter 4:19)
So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
Instead of giving up (like so many unfortunately do), LOOK UP (to God for strength) and say: “Lord, I’m confused right now but I know you’re real and you’re the Truth, so I’m going to depend on Your strength to keep doing what you told me to do, no matter how I feel.”
Remember, CONFUSION IS NEVER FROM GOD, so just keep doing the last things God told you to before you got confused, because the tough times will pass. This brings to mind a great recent example of someone I know who was under heavy spiritual attack, but they were still faithful to be at every church activity, still invited people, and still served diligently just like always. And instead of the doubt and confusion getting worse, by continuing to be faithful they got over the attacks in about a week, and actually grew from the experience – instead of getting chalked up as another one of Satan’s casualties.
(Read I Peter 5:8-11)
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
James tells us to resist the devil and he will flee. That’s a spiritual law. That’s so simple, yet we often don’t do it. Stand strong, because persevering is worth it. Don’t forget the eternal perspective, and that God is right by your side to strengthen you. You’re not alone, so keep fighting the good fight!
Conclusion:
As we close today, I just want to encourage you to get equipped, stand strong, channel your righteous anger towards Satan where it belongs, and fight the spiritual battle – not only for yourself, but through prayer on behalf of others you care about. It is a battle worth fighting – a battle for your very soul!
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Prayer and Fasting...
SCRIPTURES ON THE SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE OF FASTING:
Deuteronomy 8:3
Man does not live by bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
Job 23:12
I have not departed from the commands of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily bread.
Psalm 35:13
I put on sackcloth, and humbled myself with fasting…
Jeremiah 15:16
When Your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear Your name, O Lord God Almighty.
Joel 1:14
Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.
Joel 2:12-13
“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity.”
Matthew 4:2-4
After fasting forty days and forty nights, Jesus was hungry. The tempter came to Him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Matthew 6:16-18
Jesus said: “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus said: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Matthew 17:19-21
The disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive [the demon] out?” Jesus replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
John 4:34
“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.”
Romans 14:17-18
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.
James 4:8-10
Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn, and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.
Some Biblical Examples of Fasting for Further Study:
Moses (Exodus 34:28), Hannah (I Samuel 1:8), Elijah (I Kings 19:8), Ezra (Ezra 10:6), Esther (Esther 4:16), David (Psalm 102:4), Daniel (Daniel 10:3), Anna (Luke 2:37), Jesus (Luke 4:1-2, 14), Saul (Acts 9:9), Cornelius (Acts 10:30), the church at Antioch (Acts 13:2-3), Paul and Barnabas (Acts 14:23).
Deuteronomy 8:3
Man does not live by bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
Job 23:12
I have not departed from the commands of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily bread.
Psalm 35:13
I put on sackcloth, and humbled myself with fasting…
Jeremiah 15:16
When Your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear Your name, O Lord God Almighty.
Joel 1:14
Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.
Joel 2:12-13
“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity.”
Matthew 4:2-4
After fasting forty days and forty nights, Jesus was hungry. The tempter came to Him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Matthew 6:16-18
Jesus said: “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus said: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Matthew 17:19-21
The disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive [the demon] out?” Jesus replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
John 4:34
“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.”
Romans 14:17-18
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.
James 4:8-10
Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn, and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.
Some Biblical Examples of Fasting for Further Study:
Moses (Exodus 34:28), Hannah (I Samuel 1:8), Elijah (I Kings 19:8), Ezra (Ezra 10:6), Esther (Esther 4:16), David (Psalm 102:4), Daniel (Daniel 10:3), Anna (Luke 2:37), Jesus (Luke 4:1-2, 14), Saul (Acts 9:9), Cornelius (Acts 10:30), the church at Antioch (Acts 13:2-3), Paul and Barnabas (Acts 14:23).
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Elements of True Worship
Introduction:
This summer during our “United in Worship” series, we have been exploring what it truly means to worship. Tonight I’ll be talking about 4 key elements of true worship, to please the Lord and have a deeper relationship with Him.
(Isaiah 6:1-5)
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above Him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.” At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
1) RECOGNITION
The first important element of worship is to stop and truly recognize who He is and how awesome and amazing He is. We must enter His presence with awe, reverence, and deep respect. Sometimes though, there are things in our lives that block our recognition of God. Sometimes we allow idols (people, things, etc.) to block our view of God, to where we don’t see Him as He truly is – it’s like a spiritual eclipse. For the people at the time of Isaiah, King Uzziah had been put on such a pedestal, that he blocked many people’s view of God. It’s no coincidence that it wasn’t until the year that King Uzziah died, that Isaiah could finally “see the Lord.” The idol had to get out of the way first. There are things in our lives that need to be knocked down off their pedestals so that the Lord can have His rightful place in the spotlight in our lives. For me, I had always found my security and identity in two things – my family and my academic success. Thus it’s no surprise that it wasn’t until college that I truly “saw the Lord” for who He is – when I was away from my family and couldn’t depend on them instead of God anymore, and after my grades took a beating during my first quarter of classes and I was humbled academically. Stop and think about it – can you “see the Lord” clearly tonight in your life in order to truly worship Him in His full glory, or is there something or somebody causing an eclipse, that you are placing more value in than Him?
2) CONFESSION
The second key element of true worship that we get from this passage is confession. Like Isaiah, when we come into the presence of the Lord for true worship, we become acutely aware of just how dirty and undeserving we are, and the proper response is confession. Unconfessed sin is a serious block to worship. We must stop and get things right with God before we can truly and freely worship. Confession is a major element of worship. Don’t let unconfessed sins stop you from entering the presence of the Lord and communing with Him. There’s no reason to, because He has promised to forgive your sins when you come to Him and openly confess and repent.
3) RECONCILIATION
(Matthew 5:21-24)
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, everyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”
That is truly deep – notice that it doesn’t say “when you have something against your brother”, it says when “your brother has something against YOU”! That means you are called to be a peacemaker and an agent of reconciliation, even if it’s not you who had done anything wrong. You are called to make the first move towards reconciliation, even as a priority over offering your praises to God. How can you love God, who you can’t see, if you can’t even get along with your brother, who you can see? I think reconciliation is one of the most overlooked aspects of worship, because it makes us uncomfortable and face some of the deepest, darkest areas in our hearts. But let’s be clear, grudges and conflicts with our brothers and sisters put a block on our worship. The Lord does not even want to hear our worship until we get things right with our neighbors. It’s so important to take quality time before worship, not only to get things right with God, but to get things right with our brothers and sisters.
4) ACTION
(Isaiah 6:6-8)
Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send” And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
The reaction (to God in worship) should be ACTION! Notice that Isaiah didn’t just give lip service to the Lord by recognizing who He was and confessing His sin and being in awe – Isaiah volunteers to take action, and to go spread God’s Word to the people. The final element of worship is what should come as a result of true worship, as a result of spending quality time in the presence of God lifting up His name – OBEDIENCE. It’s not enough to sing about God, He calls us to take ACTION and LIVE for Him. True worship has to do with what you do even after you leave the church building – it’s what takes place when the music stops. It’s easy to sing about God, but if you truly love Him you will obey His commands and live the life you sing about. And that takes us back to Romans 12:1, our theme for the summer, which reminds us that offering our lives as a living sacrifice to God is our spiritual act of worship, in view of God’s mercy and who He is and how good He’s been to us. Our response to worship should be to go out and spread the Good News! “Here we are – send us!!!” It doesn’t matter what you’ve done or how unworthy you feel, when you come before the Lord and confess, He forgives you, clean you up, and sends you out towards your calling. I want to challenge you to engage in TRUE WORSHIP tonight and always… even after the music stops…
This summer during our “United in Worship” series, we have been exploring what it truly means to worship. Tonight I’ll be talking about 4 key elements of true worship, to please the Lord and have a deeper relationship with Him.
(Isaiah 6:1-5)
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above Him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.” At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
1) RECOGNITION
The first important element of worship is to stop and truly recognize who He is and how awesome and amazing He is. We must enter His presence with awe, reverence, and deep respect. Sometimes though, there are things in our lives that block our recognition of God. Sometimes we allow idols (people, things, etc.) to block our view of God, to where we don’t see Him as He truly is – it’s like a spiritual eclipse. For the people at the time of Isaiah, King Uzziah had been put on such a pedestal, that he blocked many people’s view of God. It’s no coincidence that it wasn’t until the year that King Uzziah died, that Isaiah could finally “see the Lord.” The idol had to get out of the way first. There are things in our lives that need to be knocked down off their pedestals so that the Lord can have His rightful place in the spotlight in our lives. For me, I had always found my security and identity in two things – my family and my academic success. Thus it’s no surprise that it wasn’t until college that I truly “saw the Lord” for who He is – when I was away from my family and couldn’t depend on them instead of God anymore, and after my grades took a beating during my first quarter of classes and I was humbled academically. Stop and think about it – can you “see the Lord” clearly tonight in your life in order to truly worship Him in His full glory, or is there something or somebody causing an eclipse, that you are placing more value in than Him?
2) CONFESSION
The second key element of true worship that we get from this passage is confession. Like Isaiah, when we come into the presence of the Lord for true worship, we become acutely aware of just how dirty and undeserving we are, and the proper response is confession. Unconfessed sin is a serious block to worship. We must stop and get things right with God before we can truly and freely worship. Confession is a major element of worship. Don’t let unconfessed sins stop you from entering the presence of the Lord and communing with Him. There’s no reason to, because He has promised to forgive your sins when you come to Him and openly confess and repent.
3) RECONCILIATION
(Matthew 5:21-24)
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, everyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”
That is truly deep – notice that it doesn’t say “when you have something against your brother”, it says when “your brother has something against YOU”! That means you are called to be a peacemaker and an agent of reconciliation, even if it’s not you who had done anything wrong. You are called to make the first move towards reconciliation, even as a priority over offering your praises to God. How can you love God, who you can’t see, if you can’t even get along with your brother, who you can see? I think reconciliation is one of the most overlooked aspects of worship, because it makes us uncomfortable and face some of the deepest, darkest areas in our hearts. But let’s be clear, grudges and conflicts with our brothers and sisters put a block on our worship. The Lord does not even want to hear our worship until we get things right with our neighbors. It’s so important to take quality time before worship, not only to get things right with God, but to get things right with our brothers and sisters.
4) ACTION
(Isaiah 6:6-8)
Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send” And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
The reaction (to God in worship) should be ACTION! Notice that Isaiah didn’t just give lip service to the Lord by recognizing who He was and confessing His sin and being in awe – Isaiah volunteers to take action, and to go spread God’s Word to the people. The final element of worship is what should come as a result of true worship, as a result of spending quality time in the presence of God lifting up His name – OBEDIENCE. It’s not enough to sing about God, He calls us to take ACTION and LIVE for Him. True worship has to do with what you do even after you leave the church building – it’s what takes place when the music stops. It’s easy to sing about God, but if you truly love Him you will obey His commands and live the life you sing about. And that takes us back to Romans 12:1, our theme for the summer, which reminds us that offering our lives as a living sacrifice to God is our spiritual act of worship, in view of God’s mercy and who He is and how good He’s been to us. Our response to worship should be to go out and spread the Good News! “Here we are – send us!!!” It doesn’t matter what you’ve done or how unworthy you feel, when you come before the Lord and confess, He forgives you, clean you up, and sends you out towards your calling. I want to challenge you to engage in TRUE WORSHIP tonight and always… even after the music stops…
Saturday, July 08, 2006
An Open Letter...
To No One in Particular, but Anyone Seeking a More Meangingful Life.... I am going to be very straightforward with you. Life is passing by and you don't get a second chance to invest this crucial time. We are all born with a longing inside that is only filled by a deep, personal relationship with God -- our purpose is found in Him. Have you ever read Ecclesiastes? If you haven't, you should. No one and nothing else will satisfy you besides God. You can go out and get drunk to "escape" your problems, but when the buzz wears off, you're back where you started, plus now with a drinking problem. You can pursue relationships in search of that special person to bring you happiness, but no one human being is going to meet all your expectations and satisfy you. Any human is eventually going to disappoint you and let you down. You can work hard to make money or build an impressive prestigious resume, but deep down in your heart you will know that it really doesn't matter in eternity. No one's going to be checking your bank account on Judgement Day. When you take the time and focus enough to truly get to know God personally on a daily basis -- that's when true life begins. You have not lived until you live for Christ. With His guidance and strength you can finally get all the other distractions out of the way and get in touch with what you were specifically created to do here on this Earth. You will never regret investing time in a deeper personal relationship with God. He helps your relationships because He IS love and He teaches you to love unconditionally (the only way a human relationship will last). He helps your schoolwork and education because He brings you peace and teaches you to pray instead of stress. He helps your psychological state of mind because He enables you to finally overcome the guilt of past mistakes and receive God's amazing grace and forgiveness. He helps your sense of optimism for the future because He teaches you that with Him all things are possible. He helps your emotional stability because He teaches you to have joy, which unlike the world's "happiness", is not dependent on feelings, emotions, or circumstances. He helps you with your problems because He teaches you how to face them head on and overcome them by His strength and His Word, instead of trying to avoid them through alcohol, drugs, and/or various forms of "entertainment." I pray that you will seriously think and pray about all this, and let God step into the driver's seat of your life. Come to Him just like you are -- He standing there waiting to forgive you, love you, and open your eyes to the eternal perspective and the meaningful, fulfilling life you have always desired.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
My Identity in Christ: Who Am I?
I AM…
SEATED WITH CHRIST IN HEAVENLY PLACES (EPHESIANS 2:6)
HEIR TO THE BLESSINGS OF ABRAHAM (GALATIANS 3:13-14)
OBSERVING AND DOING THE LORD’S COMMANDMENTS (DEUT. 28:13)
BLESSED COMING IN AND GOING OUT (DEUT. 28:6)
AN INHERITOR OF ETERNAL LIFE (I JOHN 5:11-12)
BLESSED WITH ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS (EPHESIANS 1:3)
SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE (EPHESIANS 4:15)
GROWING UP INTO JESUS CHRIST IN ALL THINGS (EPHESIANS 4:15)
HEALED BY HIS STRIPES (I PETER 2:24)
PROSPEROUS (3 JOHN 2)
REIGNING IN LIFE THROUGH JESUS (ROMANS 5:17)
ABOVE PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS (EPHESIANS 1:19,21)
EXERCISING MY AUTHORITY OVER THE ENEMY (LUKE 10:19)
ABOVE ONLY AND NOT BENEATH (DEUT. 28:13)
MORE THAN A CONQUEROR (ROMANS 8:37)
POSSESSING BY MY CONFESSING (MARK 11:23-24)
ESTABLISHING GOD’S WORK HERE ON EARTH (MATTHEW 16:19)
AN OVERCOMER BY THE WORK OF MY TESTIMONY (REVELATION 12:11)
DAILY OVERCOMING THE DEVIL (I JOHN 4:4)
NOT MOVED BY WHAT I SEE (2 CORINTHIANS 4:18)
WALKING BY FAITH AND NOT BY SIGHT (2 CORINTHIANS 5:7)
CALLING ALL THINGS INTO EXISTENCE BY FAITH (ROMANS 4:17)
BRINGING MY BODY INTO SUBJECTION (I CORINTHIANS 9:27)
CASTING DOWN VAIN IMAGINATIONS (2 CORINTHIANS 10:4-5)
BRINGING EVERY THOUGHT INTO CAPTIVITY (2 CORINTHIANS 10:5)
BEING TRANSFORMED BY A RENEWED MIND (ROMANS 12:1-2)
A LABORER TOGETHER WITH GOD (I CORINTHIANS 3:9)
THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN CHRIST (2 CORINTHIANS 5:21)
COMPLETE IN CHRIST (COLOSSIANS 2:9)
IN THE BODY OF CHRIST (I CORINTHIANS 12:12-14)
A BRANCH OF THE TRUE VINE (JOHN 15:1-5)
ROOTED AND GROUNDED IN LOVE (EPHESIANS 3:17)
AN IMITATOR OF JESUS (EPHESIANS 5:1)
THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD (MATTHEW 5:14)
A CHILD OF GOD (ROMANS 8:16)
NOT MY OWN – I AM BOUGHT WITH A PRICE (I CORINTHIANS 6:19-20)
REDEEMED FROM THE HAND OF THE ENEMY (PSALMS 107:2)
CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST (GALATIANS 2:20)
DEAD WITH CHRIST (COLOSSIANS 3:3)
BURIED WITH CHRIST (COLOSSIANS 2:12)
FORGIVEN (COLOSSIANS 1:13-14)
WASHED (I CORINTHIANS 6:11)
SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH (EPHESIANS 2:8)
JUSTIFIED (ROMANS 5:1)
BORN AGAIN (I PETER 1:23)
SANCTIFIED (I CORINTHIANS 6:11)
A NEW CREATURE (2 CORINTHIANS 5:17)
HIS WORKMANSHIP (EPHESIANS 2:10)
A PARTAKER OF HIS DIVINE NATURE (2 PETER 1:4)
PURE (I PETER 1:22)
HOLY (HEBREWS 3:1)
IN HIS HAND (JOHN 10:28-29)
REDEEMED FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW (GALATIANS 3:13)
TRANSLATED INTO THE KINGDOM OF JESUS CHRIST (COLOSSIANS 1:13)
HIS SHEEP AND HE IS MY SHEPHERD (PSALMS 23:1)
LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD (ROMANS 8:14)
A SON OF GOD (ROMANS 8:14)
KEPT IN SAFETY WHEREVER I GO (PSALMS 91:11)
GETTING ALL MY NEEDS MET BY JESUS (PHILIPPIANS 4:19)
CASTING ALL MY CARES ON JESUS (I PETER 5:7)
STRONG IN THE LORD AND IN THE POWER OF HIS MIGHT (EPHESIANS 6:10)
DOING ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME (PHIL. 4:13)
MY BELOVED’S AND HE IS MINE (SONG OF SOLOMON 6:3)
DELIGHTING MYSELF IN THE LORD (PSALMS 37:4)
ACKNOWLEDGING HIM IN ALL THINGS (PROVERBS 3:6)
AN HEIR OF GOD AND JOINT HEIR WITH CHRIST (ROMANS 8:17)
SEATED WITH CHRIST IN HEAVENLY PLACES (EPHESIANS 2:6)
HEIR TO THE BLESSINGS OF ABRAHAM (GALATIANS 3:13-14)
OBSERVING AND DOING THE LORD’S COMMANDMENTS (DEUT. 28:13)
BLESSED COMING IN AND GOING OUT (DEUT. 28:6)
AN INHERITOR OF ETERNAL LIFE (I JOHN 5:11-12)
BLESSED WITH ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS (EPHESIANS 1:3)
SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE (EPHESIANS 4:15)
GROWING UP INTO JESUS CHRIST IN ALL THINGS (EPHESIANS 4:15)
HEALED BY HIS STRIPES (I PETER 2:24)
PROSPEROUS (3 JOHN 2)
REIGNING IN LIFE THROUGH JESUS (ROMANS 5:17)
ABOVE PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS (EPHESIANS 1:19,21)
EXERCISING MY AUTHORITY OVER THE ENEMY (LUKE 10:19)
ABOVE ONLY AND NOT BENEATH (DEUT. 28:13)
MORE THAN A CONQUEROR (ROMANS 8:37)
POSSESSING BY MY CONFESSING (MARK 11:23-24)
ESTABLISHING GOD’S WORK HERE ON EARTH (MATTHEW 16:19)
AN OVERCOMER BY THE WORK OF MY TESTIMONY (REVELATION 12:11)
DAILY OVERCOMING THE DEVIL (I JOHN 4:4)
NOT MOVED BY WHAT I SEE (2 CORINTHIANS 4:18)
WALKING BY FAITH AND NOT BY SIGHT (2 CORINTHIANS 5:7)
CALLING ALL THINGS INTO EXISTENCE BY FAITH (ROMANS 4:17)
BRINGING MY BODY INTO SUBJECTION (I CORINTHIANS 9:27)
CASTING DOWN VAIN IMAGINATIONS (2 CORINTHIANS 10:4-5)
BRINGING EVERY THOUGHT INTO CAPTIVITY (2 CORINTHIANS 10:5)
BEING TRANSFORMED BY A RENEWED MIND (ROMANS 12:1-2)
A LABORER TOGETHER WITH GOD (I CORINTHIANS 3:9)
THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN CHRIST (2 CORINTHIANS 5:21)
COMPLETE IN CHRIST (COLOSSIANS 2:9)
IN THE BODY OF CHRIST (I CORINTHIANS 12:12-14)
A BRANCH OF THE TRUE VINE (JOHN 15:1-5)
ROOTED AND GROUNDED IN LOVE (EPHESIANS 3:17)
AN IMITATOR OF JESUS (EPHESIANS 5:1)
THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD (MATTHEW 5:14)
A CHILD OF GOD (ROMANS 8:16)
NOT MY OWN – I AM BOUGHT WITH A PRICE (I CORINTHIANS 6:19-20)
REDEEMED FROM THE HAND OF THE ENEMY (PSALMS 107:2)
CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST (GALATIANS 2:20)
DEAD WITH CHRIST (COLOSSIANS 3:3)
BURIED WITH CHRIST (COLOSSIANS 2:12)
FORGIVEN (COLOSSIANS 1:13-14)
WASHED (I CORINTHIANS 6:11)
SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH (EPHESIANS 2:8)
JUSTIFIED (ROMANS 5:1)
BORN AGAIN (I PETER 1:23)
SANCTIFIED (I CORINTHIANS 6:11)
A NEW CREATURE (2 CORINTHIANS 5:17)
HIS WORKMANSHIP (EPHESIANS 2:10)
A PARTAKER OF HIS DIVINE NATURE (2 PETER 1:4)
PURE (I PETER 1:22)
HOLY (HEBREWS 3:1)
IN HIS HAND (JOHN 10:28-29)
REDEEMED FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW (GALATIANS 3:13)
TRANSLATED INTO THE KINGDOM OF JESUS CHRIST (COLOSSIANS 1:13)
HIS SHEEP AND HE IS MY SHEPHERD (PSALMS 23:1)
LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD (ROMANS 8:14)
A SON OF GOD (ROMANS 8:14)
KEPT IN SAFETY WHEREVER I GO (PSALMS 91:11)
GETTING ALL MY NEEDS MET BY JESUS (PHILIPPIANS 4:19)
CASTING ALL MY CARES ON JESUS (I PETER 5:7)
STRONG IN THE LORD AND IN THE POWER OF HIS MIGHT (EPHESIANS 6:10)
DOING ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME (PHIL. 4:13)
MY BELOVED’S AND HE IS MINE (SONG OF SOLOMON 6:3)
DELIGHTING MYSELF IN THE LORD (PSALMS 37:4)
ACKNOWLEDGING HIM IN ALL THINGS (PROVERBS 3:6)
AN HEIR OF GOD AND JOINT HEIR WITH CHRIST (ROMANS 8:17)
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Rekindling Your Passion for the Lord
(Psalm 42:1-2)
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
Introduction:
Have you ever been really, really thirsty? When you’re so craving water so bad that you’ll even drink it out of a hot drinking fountain? When was the last time you were thirsty for God? When was the last time you felt the immediate demand, that craving inside of you to be with God, to listen to God, to serve God? Like we talked about last week, it is altogether too easy sometimes to forget how blessed we are to know God and to take for granted that He’s always right there for us. Sometimes we “forget our first love” and we fall into a cold, stale relationship with God (on our side of it – He always loves us passionately and never changes!). Our love and thirst for God can grow dull over time. So today we are going to look at some biblical steps to spark your spiritual fire, and to renew the passion in your relationship with God. Our first tips will come from Paul in Colossians…
(Colossians 4:2-6)
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
1) WATCH AND PRAY FOR HOW GOD IS AT WORK AROUND YOU
Good relationships don’t happen by accident – they are worked at, and take an investment of quality time. You don’t just wake up one day and all of a sudden have a newly passionate relationship with God! Daily, quality, focused prayer (“devote yourselves to prayer”) is a sure way to draw closer to God. This is a very simple and very obvious instruction, but how many people really “devote” themselves to prayer? You see, as you pray and draw closer to Him, He will make your calling and purpose in life more clear to you – and when you embrace that God-given purpose and the ministry opportunities He has placed around you, every day with God becomes exciting. There is never a dull moment when you are watching and praying for God to use you. As your prayer life increases, you will more in tune with how God is at work in and through your life. It is a tremendous joy to watch God at work! Be watchful and observant for how God opens doors around you for you to spread His Word and to be “salt and light” in the lives of others. We miss a lot of exciting opportunities simply because we are not looking. We often sleepwalk through life with blinders on, oblivious to the work of the Spirit. One of the benefits of prayer is it helps us stay focused on God and others instead of ourselves, so that we will recognize God-given opportunities when they arise. And let me tell you, there is nothing in the world more exciting and stimulating that being used as God’s instrument in the process of new people coming to know Christ – it is an honor and a privilege. So watch and pray, and see every day, every moment, as a fresh and exciting new opportunity to be used by God. Sometimes our passion dies because we have stopped praying, or have gotten into a rut in our prayers. We gradually drift away from God. But we can avoid this. People who spend time in prayer, and watch for the connections between prayer and daily life, are people who are excited for the cause of Christ. Especially when we remember that with God, all things are possible! The greatest joy of the Christian life, besides having a relationship with God, is introducing other people to Him. Yet so few Christians seem to sincerely care about that as a priority. (And by the way, if that doesn’t bring you joy, it’s time to examine your relationship with God and whether you have one – check your spiritual pulse for signs of life). The angels in heaven rejoice every time even one soul gets saved. When we start to see each person as a child of God, and a potential Christian, and that God can use us to make an eternal difference in peoples’ lives, life becomes more meaningful and joyful. That means we must “make the most of every opportunity” and every conversation, being the “salt” that we are supposed to be. This passage doesn’t even necessarily mean “preaching” to people – but just sharing naturally about God and what He’s done in our lives in our everyday normal conversations. In each conversation, we decide whether we care enough to make it a potentially life-changing one or not.
2) COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS
(Psalm 103:1-5)
Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
We should never become nonchalant about the amazing things God has already done for us, even if He never did another thing ever for us. We need to take time to remember the blessings in our past. Sometimes we lose our passion simply because we don’t take enough time to remember and praise Him. Don’t live in the past, but always remember how God has been faithful, and against all odds has brought you to where you are today. It is so easy to forget the Cross, the forgiveness, the comfort, the strength, and the answered prayers from over the years. But when we take time to count our blessings, a sense of joy and gratitude begins to bubble up on the inside, and motivates us to draw closer to God and to serve Him in the present.
Speaking of the present, we should count our present blessings as well as our past ones. When we concentrate on the negative (don't be a spiritual "Eeyore", lol) we lose sight of God – but when we concentrate on the positive, we grow more thankful of God. Think about Philippians 4:8… think on THOSE things, and experience joy and passion. We can also count the glorious blessings that await God’s children in the future… we don’t have to get beaten down and have the joy in our walk with God stolen by feelings, emotions and circumstances. We have the eternal perspective, and we know how the story ends, no matter what may happen on this earth!
3) WEED YOUR “SOIL”
In the world, you weed the soil and get rid of the dry brush so that fires won’t start. Well, in the spiritual world, you weed the soil in your soul, so that a fire (of passion for God) WILL start! We need to weed our lives of all the distractions that take our mind off of God.
(Luke 8:14)
The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches, and pleasures, and they do not mature.
It is hard to be a passionate Christian if God is blocked out by your own whims, desires, and comforts – or even your stresses. Is there anything in your life that keeps you from being close with God? Is there anything in your life that robs your energy and time, so that you are so overly tired that you don’t have time to serve God, and to commune with Him? God should not be ignored. Watch out for the worries, riches, and pleasures that choke off our spiritual growth, and take our passion with it. Obviously, sin (which includes worries, riches, and pleasures) causes major separation between us and God, and causes us to drift spiritually.
(Isaiah 59:1-2)
Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.
In other words, there’s nothing wrong with HIM – we separate OURSELVES sometimes because we don’t like to submit. His passion for you is just fine, thank you! This passage highlights the first thing to get straight if you are serious about wanting to renew your passion. Sin or iniquity means “self-rule” – and you can’t be close to God if you’re ruling yourself, in a state of rebellion against Him. Sin deadens our desire to serve God, it replaces God, enslaves us, and puts the focus on ourselves. It causes us to lose sight of our priorities, our purpose, and our true needs. It puts the focus on the flesh instead of the Spirit. The only thing that can separate us from God is our sin – but that’s not an excuse, because forgiveness and reconciliation has been made available to us. We’ve got to declare war on sin and take it much more seriously, and not be nonchalant about it – in many cases it is the one thing stopping us from fulfilling God’s highest purposes for our lives. Don’t let sin rob your passion! (Remember, Satan came to steal, kill, and destroy…)
Conclusion:
If we follow these biblical teachings, not only will we have more joy in our lives, and more passionate fire in our relationship with God – but more new people will come to know Christ as well, and our church will be spiritually alive. New members help keep the passion and the joy alive in a church body, because they don’t take things for granted like how people who have been a Christian for a longer time tend to do. But no matter how long you’ve been a Christian, there’s really no excuse to sit back and let the passion fade (it doesn’t have to be inevitable). If it has, it is due to choices you have made – it’s not God’s fault. He loves you just as passionately today as He did when He sent Jesus to die on the Cross for you. The ball is in our court – how are we going to respond to His amazing love? This summer is time for revival, both individually, and collectively! Our theme this summer is “The Romans 12 Summer” – and let me tell you, when you’re living life as a living sacrifice, using your gifts to serve and encourage others like Romans 12 teaches, that is not a boring life or a bland relationship with God. Obedience to God is what brings true joy and keeps your passion alive, instead of deadening it with sin and selfish disobedience. Just think of all the eternal fruit that God can use your life to produce, even over the course of this summer! Today is the day to get things right with God… He’s just a prayer away! Putting it off is Satan’s tool…
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
Introduction:
Have you ever been really, really thirsty? When you’re so craving water so bad that you’ll even drink it out of a hot drinking fountain? When was the last time you were thirsty for God? When was the last time you felt the immediate demand, that craving inside of you to be with God, to listen to God, to serve God? Like we talked about last week, it is altogether too easy sometimes to forget how blessed we are to know God and to take for granted that He’s always right there for us. Sometimes we “forget our first love” and we fall into a cold, stale relationship with God (on our side of it – He always loves us passionately and never changes!). Our love and thirst for God can grow dull over time. So today we are going to look at some biblical steps to spark your spiritual fire, and to renew the passion in your relationship with God. Our first tips will come from Paul in Colossians…
(Colossians 4:2-6)
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
1) WATCH AND PRAY FOR HOW GOD IS AT WORK AROUND YOU
Good relationships don’t happen by accident – they are worked at, and take an investment of quality time. You don’t just wake up one day and all of a sudden have a newly passionate relationship with God! Daily, quality, focused prayer (“devote yourselves to prayer”) is a sure way to draw closer to God. This is a very simple and very obvious instruction, but how many people really “devote” themselves to prayer? You see, as you pray and draw closer to Him, He will make your calling and purpose in life more clear to you – and when you embrace that God-given purpose and the ministry opportunities He has placed around you, every day with God becomes exciting. There is never a dull moment when you are watching and praying for God to use you. As your prayer life increases, you will more in tune with how God is at work in and through your life. It is a tremendous joy to watch God at work! Be watchful and observant for how God opens doors around you for you to spread His Word and to be “salt and light” in the lives of others. We miss a lot of exciting opportunities simply because we are not looking. We often sleepwalk through life with blinders on, oblivious to the work of the Spirit. One of the benefits of prayer is it helps us stay focused on God and others instead of ourselves, so that we will recognize God-given opportunities when they arise. And let me tell you, there is nothing in the world more exciting and stimulating that being used as God’s instrument in the process of new people coming to know Christ – it is an honor and a privilege. So watch and pray, and see every day, every moment, as a fresh and exciting new opportunity to be used by God. Sometimes our passion dies because we have stopped praying, or have gotten into a rut in our prayers. We gradually drift away from God. But we can avoid this. People who spend time in prayer, and watch for the connections between prayer and daily life, are people who are excited for the cause of Christ. Especially when we remember that with God, all things are possible! The greatest joy of the Christian life, besides having a relationship with God, is introducing other people to Him. Yet so few Christians seem to sincerely care about that as a priority. (And by the way, if that doesn’t bring you joy, it’s time to examine your relationship with God and whether you have one – check your spiritual pulse for signs of life). The angels in heaven rejoice every time even one soul gets saved. When we start to see each person as a child of God, and a potential Christian, and that God can use us to make an eternal difference in peoples’ lives, life becomes more meaningful and joyful. That means we must “make the most of every opportunity” and every conversation, being the “salt” that we are supposed to be. This passage doesn’t even necessarily mean “preaching” to people – but just sharing naturally about God and what He’s done in our lives in our everyday normal conversations. In each conversation, we decide whether we care enough to make it a potentially life-changing one or not.
2) COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS
(Psalm 103:1-5)
Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
We should never become nonchalant about the amazing things God has already done for us, even if He never did another thing ever for us. We need to take time to remember the blessings in our past. Sometimes we lose our passion simply because we don’t take enough time to remember and praise Him. Don’t live in the past, but always remember how God has been faithful, and against all odds has brought you to where you are today. It is so easy to forget the Cross, the forgiveness, the comfort, the strength, and the answered prayers from over the years. But when we take time to count our blessings, a sense of joy and gratitude begins to bubble up on the inside, and motivates us to draw closer to God and to serve Him in the present.
Speaking of the present, we should count our present blessings as well as our past ones. When we concentrate on the negative (don't be a spiritual "Eeyore", lol) we lose sight of God – but when we concentrate on the positive, we grow more thankful of God. Think about Philippians 4:8… think on THOSE things, and experience joy and passion. We can also count the glorious blessings that await God’s children in the future… we don’t have to get beaten down and have the joy in our walk with God stolen by feelings, emotions and circumstances. We have the eternal perspective, and we know how the story ends, no matter what may happen on this earth!
3) WEED YOUR “SOIL”
In the world, you weed the soil and get rid of the dry brush so that fires won’t start. Well, in the spiritual world, you weed the soil in your soul, so that a fire (of passion for God) WILL start! We need to weed our lives of all the distractions that take our mind off of God.
(Luke 8:14)
The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches, and pleasures, and they do not mature.
It is hard to be a passionate Christian if God is blocked out by your own whims, desires, and comforts – or even your stresses. Is there anything in your life that keeps you from being close with God? Is there anything in your life that robs your energy and time, so that you are so overly tired that you don’t have time to serve God, and to commune with Him? God should not be ignored. Watch out for the worries, riches, and pleasures that choke off our spiritual growth, and take our passion with it. Obviously, sin (which includes worries, riches, and pleasures) causes major separation between us and God, and causes us to drift spiritually.
(Isaiah 59:1-2)
Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.
In other words, there’s nothing wrong with HIM – we separate OURSELVES sometimes because we don’t like to submit. His passion for you is just fine, thank you! This passage highlights the first thing to get straight if you are serious about wanting to renew your passion. Sin or iniquity means “self-rule” – and you can’t be close to God if you’re ruling yourself, in a state of rebellion against Him. Sin deadens our desire to serve God, it replaces God, enslaves us, and puts the focus on ourselves. It causes us to lose sight of our priorities, our purpose, and our true needs. It puts the focus on the flesh instead of the Spirit. The only thing that can separate us from God is our sin – but that’s not an excuse, because forgiveness and reconciliation has been made available to us. We’ve got to declare war on sin and take it much more seriously, and not be nonchalant about it – in many cases it is the one thing stopping us from fulfilling God’s highest purposes for our lives. Don’t let sin rob your passion! (Remember, Satan came to steal, kill, and destroy…)
Conclusion:
If we follow these biblical teachings, not only will we have more joy in our lives, and more passionate fire in our relationship with God – but more new people will come to know Christ as well, and our church will be spiritually alive. New members help keep the passion and the joy alive in a church body, because they don’t take things for granted like how people who have been a Christian for a longer time tend to do. But no matter how long you’ve been a Christian, there’s really no excuse to sit back and let the passion fade (it doesn’t have to be inevitable). If it has, it is due to choices you have made – it’s not God’s fault. He loves you just as passionately today as He did when He sent Jesus to die on the Cross for you. The ball is in our court – how are we going to respond to His amazing love? This summer is time for revival, both individually, and collectively! Our theme this summer is “The Romans 12 Summer” – and let me tell you, when you’re living life as a living sacrifice, using your gifts to serve and encourage others like Romans 12 teaches, that is not a boring life or a bland relationship with God. Obedience to God is what brings true joy and keeps your passion alive, instead of deadening it with sin and selfish disobedience. Just think of all the eternal fruit that God can use your life to produce, even over the course of this summer! Today is the day to get things right with God… He’s just a prayer away! Putting it off is Satan’s tool…
