2023 Wk 21
Notes
Transcript
Cornerstone is so excited that you have taken time to attend our weekend service!
Cornerstone exists to Bring Hope to Find and Follow Jesus.
We often talk about Loving God and Loving Others. So, like some churches we believe that together we can live stronger lives and thus Change the World.
If you have any questions don't hesitate to contact me as we are learning to live authentic lives in Christ.
So, thank you for joining us today, we hope you feel the Holy Spirit in a unique way and want to come back again and bring a friend with you.
UPDATE
Doors open at 10am & Coffee bar for Connection
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Invite Invite— Follow Me is our New Series!!
18 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. 19 Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” 20 And they left their nets at once and followed him.
Two words— “Follow Me” — CHANGED THEIR LIVES!
They stopped what they were doing and — followed Jesus
Let’s shift our attention this morning from the textual meaning to the implied—if you will?
Textual…
“they left their nets at once and followed him”
Implied...
“you and me”.
Yes, Jesus is still calling followers today—2000 years later!
I THINK I KNOW WHAT HOOKED THEIR HEARTS.
Matthew 4 : Jesus goes to the desert, endures temptation, and comes through with miracles following him— wow!
LIST SOME OF HIS MIRACLES...
Water into wine
Feeding 5000
Walking on water
raised the dead
healed the lame, blind, leaper
cast out evil spirits
LIST MIRACLES THAT YOU HAVE SEEN...
legs lengthen
crippled walk
evil spirits cast out
fever broke
Personally: healed of asthma!
15 And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. 16 Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. 17 These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. 18 They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”
the disciples went to it!
19 When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 20 And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.
IT APPEARS THAT THE DISCIPLES WHERE TRUE FOLLOWERS.
NOT COMPLAINERS
NOT EXCUSE ORIENTED
NOT DOUBTERS— BUT FOLLOWERS
WELL, WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THEIR HEARTS?
Okay.
In Matthew 4, Jesus returns after being in the presence of the Father.
He’s the Son of God!
They had a relationship and they spent time with each other.
WE GOT TO KNOW THIS:
He is still calling disciples today to—Follow Me!
BUT WE ALSO GOT TO KNOW THIS:
The devil is real and he loves messing with us?
The Devil is always trying to remind us where we have been
Guilt and shame, when left up to the devil to manage, will destroy a life and it is only God that can restore that.
But— Constant fellowship with Jesus releases the guilt and the shame
yes, we were unrighteous
but Jesus made us righteous
KNOW THIS:
You will never be too far from God where he can’t find you or reach you.
That is just a lie.
Following Jesus is not a call to a perfect world...
It’s a call to healing a dying world
It’s a call first for us dying to ourselves and making less of me and more of Him—
Crying out saying, “Lord, Make me more like you!”
IT IS AT THIS POINT THAT WE HEAR Jesus calling “follow me”
Jesus wants to pour into us...
His Righteousness,
His goodness,
His love,
His life,
His forgiveness…
and then out flows the
shame,
guilt,
sin,
past mistakes,
hatred,
bigotry,
pride, and
so much more.
So what moved the Disciples hearts that they followed Him?
I believe that our hearts today are the same as the disciples then.
Here are some ways that we can understand this.
1. Satan blinds those who don’t believe
4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
2. Satan hinders the message of the gospel from being understood.
19 The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts.
3. Satan Misrepresents The Truth such as with Eve.
4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman.
4. Satan Encourages False Trust In Religion
25 There is a path before each person that seems right,
but it ends in death.
THE DISCIPLES HAD THEIR HEARTS ENLIGHTENED
We need more than eyes to see and ears to hear.
13 That is why I use these parables,
For they look, but they don’t really see.
They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.
2. We need eyes that are connected to our heart.
18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
3. We need hardened hearts made soft.
18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him.
7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will.
14 But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.
Some jobs need an Excavator especially up in Alaska!
TV show we watched: Homestead Rescue (Marty Raney and Misty and Matt)
John Piper writes that we need a Supernatural Excavator,
“They heard the words, but they did not love them. They loved the darkness that filled the template that was designed for the brightness of the glory of God.” ~John Piper, chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary.
GOD’s EXCAVATOR
1. Supernatural breakthrough of Light
6 For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
2. Supernatural breakthrough of Truth
18 He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.
3. Supernatural breakthrough of Revelation
17 Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being.
10 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled:
‘When they look, they won’t really see.
When they hear, they won’t understand.’
4. Supernatural breakthrough of Life
5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.
Praise the Lord! Peter tells us...
“we don’t have to remain in the dark!
He has brought us out of darkness and into this light, Marvelous Light!”
THIS SHOULD BE OUR TAKE AWAY TODAY:
To FOLLOW JESUS is to...
do the Will of the Father and
to Touch peoples lives with that same hope and life that Jesus offered to us.
Thus, we are to...
BE A FOLLOWER
BE A DOER OF THE WORD
BE ONE WHO TOUCHES OTHERS WITH HOPE AND LIFE
Jesus is still calling followers today
Just because we have spiritual eyes to see doesn’t mean others do.
Speak with compassion
Use parables
Pray for their understanding to be open according to Ephesians.
15 Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, 16 I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. 22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. 23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.
Let’s Pray
Have a GREAT week!