Saturday, September 16, 2006
Thanking Jesus With Your Life!
This message is about gratitude. Are you taking God for granted, or are you living a life that properly thanks Him? Our life should be like a living “thank-you” card to God, for all that He has done for us.
(Read Luke 17:11-19)
Now on His way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As He was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met Him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When He saw them, He said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked Him – and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then He said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
When you read this story, you might not immediately or naturally identify with the lepers – but remember that those lepers are us. Before we met Jesus, our lives were unclean due to sin. We may not have had physical leprosy, but other aspects of our lives were deteriorating – relationships, hopes, self-esteem, our sense of peace. We were like the lepers, and Jesus healed us from our messed-up condition.
So the question is, what is our response? Will we be like the 9, who just cry out to Jesus when they need something, then turn their back on Him when all is well? Will we run off like the 9 and use the things He blessed us with, while forgetting the One who gave us life in the first place? We should not want Jesus to be disappointed by our lack of gratitude, like He was with the 9 who just walked away. Sadly, so many people do just that. Or will we be like the one who returned and fell at Jesus’ feet, praising God in gratitude? Our response to what Jesus has done in our lives, should be LIVING A LIFE THAT THANKS HIM. We can do that in several important ways…
1) We thank Him by being AVAILABLE.
We should come back and thank Him by serving Him. We should come back and spend time with Him. We should be available, right by His side, always ready to use the gifts He’s given us to edify the church body, reach out to others, and help build His kingdom. (Too many people just go off like the 9, and use the gifts for their own purposes, forgetting about how He blessed them and what it was for.) What good can you do for the kingdom of God if you’re never available? We must put Him first, like Matthew 6:33 says. If you’re really grateful to God, you will be AVAILABLE. After you’ve come to Him and had your life touched and healed, Jesus should never have to ask where you are! (And if He does, it’s not because He needs the information – it’s to help you reflect and realize where you’re at spiritually in your life). We should regularly throw ourselves at Jesus’ feet and praise and thank Him by being available. Spend time serving Him!
2) We thank Him by being RESPONSIVE to His Word.
Not only should we be available to Him, but we should respond to His Word with obedience to show our love and gratitude. We must be “doers” of the Word and not just hearers. Why do some of us call Him “Lord, Lord” but STILL not do what He says? If we love Him we will obey His commandments. If we love Him we will feed His sheep. True thankfulness will inspire action, not mere words. Don’t just SAY you love Him – show it!
3) We thank Him by being REPENTANT.
Being repentant means living life in a new direction after coming into contact with Jesus’ healing power. The healed leper would never return to leprosy, and we should never return to our past unclean lifestyle of sin. That would be like if the healed leper went to a leper colony to catch the disease again. Or like it says in the letters of Peter, when we return to our old sins it is like a dog returning to its vomit! We must identify with the new creation we have become after experiencing Jesus’ touch and move forward (repenting means turning and going in the opposite direction) in the new life He has called us to.
Conclusion:
Just like the thankful leper, we owe our new start, our new life, our cleansed condition, EVERYTHING – to Jesus. We owe Him our all, and the way we live the rest of our life, each day, should be our way of saying “thank you” to Jesus through our priorities, choices, and actions. Don’t just walk away! Come back to Jesus’ side and SERVE Him as your top priority…
(Read Luke 17:11-19)
Now on His way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As He was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met Him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When He saw them, He said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked Him – and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then He said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
When you read this story, you might not immediately or naturally identify with the lepers – but remember that those lepers are us. Before we met Jesus, our lives were unclean due to sin. We may not have had physical leprosy, but other aspects of our lives were deteriorating – relationships, hopes, self-esteem, our sense of peace. We were like the lepers, and Jesus healed us from our messed-up condition.
So the question is, what is our response? Will we be like the 9, who just cry out to Jesus when they need something, then turn their back on Him when all is well? Will we run off like the 9 and use the things He blessed us with, while forgetting the One who gave us life in the first place? We should not want Jesus to be disappointed by our lack of gratitude, like He was with the 9 who just walked away. Sadly, so many people do just that. Or will we be like the one who returned and fell at Jesus’ feet, praising God in gratitude? Our response to what Jesus has done in our lives, should be LIVING A LIFE THAT THANKS HIM. We can do that in several important ways…
1) We thank Him by being AVAILABLE.
We should come back and thank Him by serving Him. We should come back and spend time with Him. We should be available, right by His side, always ready to use the gifts He’s given us to edify the church body, reach out to others, and help build His kingdom. (Too many people just go off like the 9, and use the gifts for their own purposes, forgetting about how He blessed them and what it was for.) What good can you do for the kingdom of God if you’re never available? We must put Him first, like Matthew 6:33 says. If you’re really grateful to God, you will be AVAILABLE. After you’ve come to Him and had your life touched and healed, Jesus should never have to ask where you are! (And if He does, it’s not because He needs the information – it’s to help you reflect and realize where you’re at spiritually in your life). We should regularly throw ourselves at Jesus’ feet and praise and thank Him by being available. Spend time serving Him!
2) We thank Him by being RESPONSIVE to His Word.
Not only should we be available to Him, but we should respond to His Word with obedience to show our love and gratitude. We must be “doers” of the Word and not just hearers. Why do some of us call Him “Lord, Lord” but STILL not do what He says? If we love Him we will obey His commandments. If we love Him we will feed His sheep. True thankfulness will inspire action, not mere words. Don’t just SAY you love Him – show it!
3) We thank Him by being REPENTANT.
Being repentant means living life in a new direction after coming into contact with Jesus’ healing power. The healed leper would never return to leprosy, and we should never return to our past unclean lifestyle of sin. That would be like if the healed leper went to a leper colony to catch the disease again. Or like it says in the letters of Peter, when we return to our old sins it is like a dog returning to its vomit! We must identify with the new creation we have become after experiencing Jesus’ touch and move forward (repenting means turning and going in the opposite direction) in the new life He has called us to.
Conclusion:
Just like the thankful leper, we owe our new start, our new life, our cleansed condition, EVERYTHING – to Jesus. We owe Him our all, and the way we live the rest of our life, each day, should be our way of saying “thank you” to Jesus through our priorities, choices, and actions. Don’t just walk away! Come back to Jesus’ side and SERVE Him as your top priority…
Sunday, September 03, 2006
How to Endure
Introduction:
Today my heart is full of gratitude and praise to God, for bringing ISI Ministries at Fresno Korean Baptist Church victoriously through 150 services. I am so thankful when I think of everything that has happened, the lessons that have been learned, and the lives that have been touched and changed by God’s work in this ministry. Even so, I still believe that the best is yet to come – we have not even scratched the surface of the good things God has in store. So instead of resting on past accomplishments and past blessings, today is a day to look forward and press on towards the mark of the high calling that God has for us. Today we are going to examine God’s Word in Philippians 4 for some keys to persevere in the ministry so that we can last AT LEAST another 150 services…
ENDURANCE is the key – as the Bible says, “He who endures to the end shall be saved.” Anybody can serve God for a little while and be enthusiastic for a season, but God wants to know who is with Him for the long haul. Who’s going to stick it out when things get tough? Here are some keys to endurance…
1) CHOOSE TO REJOICE
(Read Philippians 4:4)
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
To endure and persevere in doing the Lord’s work, we must choose to rejoice regardless of circumstances. If Paul could rejoice in jail, then we sure enough can rejoice in whatever situation we are in. The joy of the Lord is our strength – and Satan knows that if he can steal our joy, he can rob us of our strength. To quote Rev. Thompkins, “Make the choice to rejoice!” We must keep a healthy praise life. Don’t wait for the circumstances to change before you praise Him – in fact, the praise might be exactly what God intends to help lift you above your circumstances.
2) CONVERT YOUR WORRIES INTO PRAYERS, STRESS INTO PEACE
(Read Philippians 4:6-7)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Satan would love for us to be so worried and so stressed about things in our lives, that we have no focus left for ministry or serving others. But God’s Word gives us a remedy for that, and if we live it out, it becomes much easier to endure through any trials or tribulations that we face. Praying churches are the ones who persevere… everything in ministry must be built upon a solid foundation of prayer.
3) GUARD YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS
(Read Philippians 4:8)
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.
We can’t afford to let stray thoughts derail us from God’s plan and God’s vision – or for Satan’s mental darts to distract us from the truth of God’s Word. Remember that we are in a spiritual battle. Negative thoughts –ranging from doubts to temptations to depression – will derail a ministry faster than anything, and spread from person to person if we don’t guard our minds. Sin begins in the mind, so we guard our heart by guarding the gates of our mind. You might think it’s hard for your mind to find a way to meet the criteria of Philippians 4:8 – but the easiest way is to keep God’s Word in mind constantly. We must stop listening to what people say, what our emotions say, what our flesh says, and what circumstances say – and start asking ourselves “What did God say?” about the things we go through. We must cast down any thought that rises up in opposition to the truth of God. Turning to God and His Word to win the battle for our minds is a key part of being able to endure in ministry.
4) PUT GOD’S WORD INTO PRACTICE
(Read Philippians 4:9)
Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the peace of God will be with you.
To thrive as a ministry, we must not only be known for teaching the Truth of God’s Word, but even more so for living it out! There is no limit to what God can do through an obedient church body, with each member playing his/her part. And when we do that the world will see a difference in us, and be drawn towards God. It’s not enough to simply KNOW God’s Word – we are called to live it out.
5) REMEMBER THE SOURCE OF YOUR STRENGTH
(Read Philippians 4:13)
I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.
Notice it doesn’t say you can do all things through your great talents or sharp mind. We aren’t going to accomplish God’s vision due to our intelligence, our strategies, our numbers, our efforts, or anything else. There is ONLY one way that we are going to do it, or that we CAN do it… and that is, THROUGH CHRIST. It sounds so simple, yet we must never lose sight of that. On our own strength I doubt we could have even made it to 15 services, much less 150! The fact that we are still standing and thriving is a living testimony of the truth of Philippians 4:13.
It doesn’t matter if you FEEL like you can do something or not. In fact, it’s actually good if you don’t, because you’re not supposed to be operating from your own strength anyway. The strongest position in the Christian life is when you admit your weakness and place everything in God’s hands – just say, “Lord, I’m at the end of my rope, I’m weak, and I have no strength. Come work through me. If you don’t do it through me, then it’s just not going to get done.” We must admit our own weakness and then put everything (including our faith) in the hands of the Lord. His strength is more than able, especially when yours has run out!
Conclusion:
Today is not only a day to celebrate what God has done, but also a day to make sure that things are right between us and God, so we can move forward with confidence towards the wonderful future that God has in store for us, both individually and collectively. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for the future. We need to go out and inreach and outreach like never before… encourage each other daily… and be the “salt and light” that God has called us to be.
Today my heart is full of gratitude and praise to God, for bringing ISI Ministries at Fresno Korean Baptist Church victoriously through 150 services. I am so thankful when I think of everything that has happened, the lessons that have been learned, and the lives that have been touched and changed by God’s work in this ministry. Even so, I still believe that the best is yet to come – we have not even scratched the surface of the good things God has in store. So instead of resting on past accomplishments and past blessings, today is a day to look forward and press on towards the mark of the high calling that God has for us. Today we are going to examine God’s Word in Philippians 4 for some keys to persevere in the ministry so that we can last AT LEAST another 150 services…
ENDURANCE is the key – as the Bible says, “He who endures to the end shall be saved.” Anybody can serve God for a little while and be enthusiastic for a season, but God wants to know who is with Him for the long haul. Who’s going to stick it out when things get tough? Here are some keys to endurance…
1) CHOOSE TO REJOICE
(Read Philippians 4:4)
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
To endure and persevere in doing the Lord’s work, we must choose to rejoice regardless of circumstances. If Paul could rejoice in jail, then we sure enough can rejoice in whatever situation we are in. The joy of the Lord is our strength – and Satan knows that if he can steal our joy, he can rob us of our strength. To quote Rev. Thompkins, “Make the choice to rejoice!” We must keep a healthy praise life. Don’t wait for the circumstances to change before you praise Him – in fact, the praise might be exactly what God intends to help lift you above your circumstances.
2) CONVERT YOUR WORRIES INTO PRAYERS, STRESS INTO PEACE
(Read Philippians 4:6-7)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Satan would love for us to be so worried and so stressed about things in our lives, that we have no focus left for ministry or serving others. But God’s Word gives us a remedy for that, and if we live it out, it becomes much easier to endure through any trials or tribulations that we face. Praying churches are the ones who persevere… everything in ministry must be built upon a solid foundation of prayer.
3) GUARD YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS
(Read Philippians 4:8)
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.
We can’t afford to let stray thoughts derail us from God’s plan and God’s vision – or for Satan’s mental darts to distract us from the truth of God’s Word. Remember that we are in a spiritual battle. Negative thoughts –ranging from doubts to temptations to depression – will derail a ministry faster than anything, and spread from person to person if we don’t guard our minds. Sin begins in the mind, so we guard our heart by guarding the gates of our mind. You might think it’s hard for your mind to find a way to meet the criteria of Philippians 4:8 – but the easiest way is to keep God’s Word in mind constantly. We must stop listening to what people say, what our emotions say, what our flesh says, and what circumstances say – and start asking ourselves “What did God say?” about the things we go through. We must cast down any thought that rises up in opposition to the truth of God. Turning to God and His Word to win the battle for our minds is a key part of being able to endure in ministry.
4) PUT GOD’S WORD INTO PRACTICE
(Read Philippians 4:9)
Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the peace of God will be with you.
To thrive as a ministry, we must not only be known for teaching the Truth of God’s Word, but even more so for living it out! There is no limit to what God can do through an obedient church body, with each member playing his/her part. And when we do that the world will see a difference in us, and be drawn towards God. It’s not enough to simply KNOW God’s Word – we are called to live it out.
5) REMEMBER THE SOURCE OF YOUR STRENGTH
(Read Philippians 4:13)
I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.
Notice it doesn’t say you can do all things through your great talents or sharp mind. We aren’t going to accomplish God’s vision due to our intelligence, our strategies, our numbers, our efforts, or anything else. There is ONLY one way that we are going to do it, or that we CAN do it… and that is, THROUGH CHRIST. It sounds so simple, yet we must never lose sight of that. On our own strength I doubt we could have even made it to 15 services, much less 150! The fact that we are still standing and thriving is a living testimony of the truth of Philippians 4:13.
It doesn’t matter if you FEEL like you can do something or not. In fact, it’s actually good if you don’t, because you’re not supposed to be operating from your own strength anyway. The strongest position in the Christian life is when you admit your weakness and place everything in God’s hands – just say, “Lord, I’m at the end of my rope, I’m weak, and I have no strength. Come work through me. If you don’t do it through me, then it’s just not going to get done.” We must admit our own weakness and then put everything (including our faith) in the hands of the Lord. His strength is more than able, especially when yours has run out!
Conclusion:
Today is not only a day to celebrate what God has done, but also a day to make sure that things are right between us and God, so we can move forward with confidence towards the wonderful future that God has in store for us, both individually and collectively. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for the future. We need to go out and inreach and outreach like never before… encourage each other daily… and be the “salt and light” that God has called us to be.
