What Are You Bringing?
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Introduction
Introduction
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:
The word profit there in the original text means: to bring, to carry, or to bear.
The American Church has long held the view that when we go to church, we are supposed to get something out of it. We call it service as if our time here is to serve us.
Of course our time before the Lord will always be beneficial to us individually and hopefully collectively. Ultimately however, our primary goal should not be so self seeking.
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
We have become masters at building a world around us that facilitates us at every level of society. There is something for everyone, no matter what your background is. In fact, if you don’t like some things in most churches, accommodations will be made just to keep you quiet and tithing at the same time.
I am here to tell you beloved; God doesn’t have time for that nonsense!
There are lots of programs that can be run in churches for a myriad of people and their varying interests. But unless we are running God’s programming we are 100% wasting our time and everyone else’s time.
More to the point, coming to the house of God isn’t about coming merely to see what YOU can receive.
NO!
Our first and foremost thought must be: What am I bringing to my Master to worship Him with?
Our second thought should be: What am I bringing to my brothers and sisters to bless them with?
And because we are Americans, we are of course hyper focused on money or finances.
Financial blessings are amazing, and they have their place; but the Lord of Hosts is more concerned with your being spiritually blessed this morning.
People of the Spirit
People of the Spirit
Brothers and Sisters, you and I are called today to be a people of the Spirit.
No not the Assemblies of God ordained version of people of the Spirit. The Galatians 5:25 version of people of the Spirit!
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Now, by default, we need to deal with the very first word in that phrase “If”!
I need to tell you this morning that there a great number of people that pretend to be living in the Spirit and aren’t. Either because they are ignorant of what it means to live in the Spirit or they are straight up liars before the Lord.
I can stand right here and tell you that although I am not perfect by any means I am following God’s Spirit as He gives me grace and wisdom to do so.
Some have convinced themselves that they are people of the Spirit because of the circles they run in and the nonsense prophets they listen to. They look down their noses at others in the Church that are supposedly not “IN THE KNOW”.
Let me tell you something this morning, if you know anyone like that you better be careful how much you listen to coming out of them. They need prayer and deliverance! That’s a religious and contentious spirit and the Lord is not a part of that kind of spirit.
People of the Spirit don’t walk around bragging about their office or position before the Lord.
You will know them immediately by their fruits. And by the way, their fruit isn’t yours to pick, it is a by product of their submission and service to the Lord.
If you want to see the fruit of the Spirit in your life, allow yourself to go through the cultivation process to purge yourself of anything that would hinder spiritual growth in your life.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
A Reason For Contention
A Reason For Contention
There have ALWAYS been those that want to do things their own way, or claim special dispensation over themselves regarding their relationship with God. From some of the earliest people on the planet, there was found contention about how to serve God properly.
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.”
Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord.
Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering,
but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.
So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?
If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
Nowhere in that passage of Scripture does it say that Cain responded in any way to God. Whether there was any dialogue or not, we cannot say because the Bible simply does not bear that out.
What the Bible DOES SAY in the very next verse is that Cain went and did exactly what was in his heart to do; commit the very first murder by killing his brother Abel.
Why did he kill his brother? Did Abel make fun of him and taunt him?
Just as Scripture doesn’t say that Cain conversed with God, it is silent about Abel concerning any wrongdoing before the Lord.
If God Himself could not dissuade Cain from committing murder, you need to pay attention to the lesson being taught here.
There can, will be, and are people who can sit right in the midst of God’s people, watch everything that God’s doing, and even hear His voice encouraging them to do good that are going to bust hell wide open because of stubbornness and pride.
If God Himself can’t reach them by the power of His Holy Spirit, you don’t stand much of a chance my friends.
“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.
There are some people that are so full of the devil that they are bent on destroying anything holy and pure.
That’s why we have to fight to bring the standard of God back to our families, our communities, and this country.
Let me tell you something about that and then I’m going to move on...
The way that we raise up a standard is not by simply telling everyone that isn’t us that they are wrong and then go home and feel good about ourselves because we went and told somebody off.
We raise up a standard by living holy by the power of His might and Holy Spirit, and create disciples that will do the same as they are drawn to us by that same Holy Spirit and the Christ in us!
Give Me Souls For My Hire
Give Me Souls For My Hire
So what are you bringing to the Master today?
Did you just barely drag yourself before Him today? Do you feel that you are doing well enough to even maintain your own relationship with Jesus?
Or is there a stirring and burning within the core of your soul to bring God glory by actively working in His kingdom to see souls saved, healed, and delivered so that they too can go and share the message of the Gospel?
The third verse in that old hymnal written by E.D. Elliot, “Let My Life Be A Light” says this in the first line;
Give me souls for my hire, let my life be on fire, shining out to the world as a guide.
Every single day, we are given the opportunity to start all over again and choose to do things God’s way.
Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
You may have felt that you have spent too much time living the wrong way to make a change now, you may be living with secret sins in your life that are stopping the flow of the Holy Spirit and blessing in your life.
But that was yesterday, today is the day of salvation.
I don’t care how many times it takes to get it right, if you feel that pull or that unction from the Holy Spirit that you can be doing more, that means He has a way for you to get there.
What are you bringing? Let it not just be yourself; ask God to give you souls for your hire!
I can promise you a life that is much more rewarding and fulfilling than any other you could pursue. There are not a whole lot of things that can move me to tears outside of my family; except for when I see the power of God fall on even a single life to transform them from death to life. Or when God sets a soul free from bondage or heals them in some way.
There are those that would have you believe that it doesn’t happen like that anymore. That once upon a time God liked people but you aren’t them. Or at least He doesn’t like you enough to heal you or deliver you.
Have you ever wondered to yourself why some people talk like the devil is more powerful than the Jesus that went down to hell, kicked his teeth out and took the keys to hell and the grave? He also took the captives there that would follow Him into Heaven.
There is nothing that Heaven loves more than the salvation of those that escape to the bondages of Satan.
We love celebrating each other in the Church don’t we? Do you want to know when God celebrates?
I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.
Conclusion
Conclusion
My prayer for every one of you this morning is this; that you would allow the Holy Spirit to ignite your spirit with such a raging fire that everyone you know will come to see the same fire in you that was in the burning bush that turned the attention of Moses.
Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.”
And when Moses came near to the fire, his life was forever changed. It wasn’t the fire that changed him, it was the voice of the Lord that spoke to Moses because he was drawn to what he saw.
When we allow our lives to burn with the fire of the Holy Spirit, people will be drawn to us, but we must then direct them to the same power that changed us. Then and only then is God glorified through our lives and our purpose fulfilled
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”