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Northside Church
Good morning Northside…
So good to be with you all today. Just wanted to give Matt and Jason a shout out… I ended up dealing with some health late last week… Matt and Jason both did a great job filling in without much of a runway…
Could I get all veterans and active duty service members to stand…
Memorial day is largely about remembering those service men and women that have paid the ultimate price in the line of duty… but it’s important to recognize you all… to say thank you for your time, service and sacrifice… My prayer is… more and more… America will remember what it looks like… to truly stand for what's right, not in the eyes of man… or for what's profitable… but in the eyes of God.
I also wanted to give you a bit of an update. We had our youth/kids Camp BBQ fundraiser after Church Sunday… and raised about $1700 to help get kids to camp. I know Jim and Hannah both felt the support. Camp is huge for kids… if you have kids I couldn't encourage you enough to consider sending them. Our kids are growing up in what I believe is the most confusing time I’ve ever seen… How are you investing in their faith? It’s so much more important than just about everything else we invest in for them.
Today I want piggyback a little off of what we taught last week… there was one verse in particular…
Colossians 2:6–7 (NLT)
And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. 7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
The Church is struggling…
And
Paul calls the church back to these four things…
1. Knowing Jesus the right way
2. CONTINUE following Him in your life
3. Not settling for a shallow relationship with Him
4. Building your life on Him
Knowing Jesus the right way
Paul says to accept Jesus as Lord… and it has past, present and future ramifications for your life..
Past is forgiven, the future is secured, and my present living means living for Him.
I do think that its what Paul had in mind in Philippians 1:20–21 (NLT)
For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.
20 For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. 21 For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.
There is coming a day when every person who has ever lived will bow and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
As Christians, that great confession should be a part of our everyday reality.
Moment in faithful submission to the lordship of Jesus Christ.
The central message of the Bible is that "Jesus Christ is Lord.
I am under his authority… I serve Him… belong to Him.
I always say it this way… making Jesus the captain of your ship… he determines the course, sets the tone, give the direction
It carries with this idea of praising God… for who He is and what He’s done.
There are far more that desire to cling to Jesus as savior than will ever truly know Him as Lord.
There are far more… who have an ax to grind… then who want to truly know Jesus as the Lord of their lives.
Where are you at in that?
CONTINUE following Him in your life
Sometimes we forget that Jesus had something in mind when He said… follow me.
1 John 2:5–6 (NLT)
But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.
5 But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. 6 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.
Most translations say… will walk as Jesus did… such a great mental picture in what God is actually trying to tell you and I… following Him… His example… His priorities… His values…
It’s an absolutely huge question… are you following Jesus anywhere… connecting with Him… learning from Him… following His example.
Not settling for a shallow relationship with Him
Paul says be firmly rooted… go deep… and that makes sense… If Jesus really is the creator and sustainer of it all… Lord and savior… why would you.
This idea of being firmly planted… in Christ is everywhere in scripture. It’s tied to our spiritual vitality and even in our bearing fruit.
Jn 15 talks about how we are branches that are connected to the vine that is Christ…
We draw all that we need there… for growth, health, vitality, and fruit bearing.
Are you going deep with Jesus? What keeps you from that?
What do you think that looks like?
And building your life on Him
Every aspect of your life being built on the reality of who he is and what He says… This really is about having a worldview that starts with God… and literally building your life on it.
Paul is speaking these 4 things into a church that was losing its grip…
Who were losing their Christian worldview.
He knew it was serious… Paul knew were it would lead and this whole letter is calling them back to it.
Last week we asked… if Paul were to write a letter to the American Church… what would it say?
And for me at least… it's rough.
STOP… STOP allowing the culture to influence what it is we believe…
As people… and as Churches…
And there is ONLY one way to do that. And that is what Paul is saying…
Set apart Jesus as Lord… not just something nice
CONTINUE to follow Him
Be anchored… ROOTED in Him
And Build your life on HIM.
Paul says then…. THEN
Paul is saying it leads to
Growing strong in the TRUTH….
To a life that overflows with gratitude.
And I see that.
Every one of those things Paul talks about… takes our eyes off of ourselves… Cause us to fix our eyes on Jesus and continually move toward and build on our lives on Him.
Gratitude is nearly impossible if you are fixated on you.
What I get, what I don’t get….
Getting attention or not getting attention
Gratitude is so much more important than we think.
One author says…
“Gratitude is both a state and a trait.”
You can show gratitude… and/or you can be a grateful person
Gratitude turns what little you have into abundance.
Gratitude is so much more than saying thank you.
Gratitude changes your perspective of your world.
Even secular psychology recognizes the connection between gratitude and nearly every form of health… “gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships, a more positive view of themselves and of others…
One of the things I’ve realized… is the impact grateful people tend to have on those around them… they tend to be life giving people.
There was a study done of three groups over 6 months…
Had to record every positive thing that happened only
Only negative
They could record anything the wanted
Two things they saw within the first week…
Without effort, most people track negative far more than positive
“expectations have changed, gratitude has diminished in western society. Possessions and health are expectations for many individuals rather than considered personal ‘blessings’ that are appreciated. “Gratitude has, for many, been replaced by disappointment, anger, and resentment when these expected ‘blessings’ either do not appear or they disappear”
Thankful people seem to live fuller, healthier and happier lives.
The longer the study progressed the clearer that became.
One Psychologist said… Gratitude is coming to this place where we realize and value that so much of what we need cannot come from within ourselves. Realizing how goodness has come to us and how it has changed our lives.
Last week Matt said this…
Gratitude is part of worship, It’s a spiritual exercise.
That doesn’t mean that it’s manufactured…
To me it means realizing that gratitude is actually a spiritual discipline… a spiritual muscle that we develop…
Gratitude helps form our view of God and how we relate to Him…
When was the last time you sat open handed before the Lord… to reflect on His goodness to you… simply to connect with Him and say Thank you.
I want to give you a minute right now to do that.
What are you truly thankful to God for?
How would you say you do here?
I’m pretty thankful, a little thankful, just thankful enough, I don’t really do that…
What’s one thing you can do… to become a more grateful person…
Maybe it means making a commitment to…
Look people in the eye and say thankyou for more often
Sent out an appreciation letter once a week
Before you eat a meal… say 3-4 unique things your thankful for
Take at least one walk a week where we are focused on saying thank you to Jesus.
Invite Worship team, Staff, Elders, Search team up
Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
(NLT)
16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4
Paul talks about how He’s learned to be thankful in every circumstance… when he has a lot, a little, and nothing…
That is the context of this passage…
13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
How could becoming a more thankful person change your life?
There are a handful of regrets that I carry…
And one of them is right here…
I have not looked up and said thank you nearly enough.
Have not looked at my wife or my kids and said thank you nearly enough
I have not looked at God’’s protection or provision in my life and said thank you nearly enough
And thats one of the commitments I made when planting Northside… To be a more thankful person.
And its like God put me to the test… because His blessings have not stopped. We have so much to be thankful for…
Frankly… American Churches don’t to a great job of living out gratitude before the Lord either…
I’ve been to several churches in Mexico and In Haiti where people have a fraction of what we have… and there is a level of Joy and Gratitude there I have never seen in an American Church.
In every category… for a church plant… Northside has far exceeded what most plants experience
The staff, the elders, our leaders, you all are a huge blessing to me, the school, the fact that we survived some really hard things, we’ve been financially healthy from day one, we’ve had tons of baptisms and we’ve seen God do some incredible things…
Today is a big day in the history of NS.
You all look a little different… There’s something different about you.
Did you get a haircut… lose a little weight?
You know what it is?
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B
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This is the first Sunday in NS history… that we are the official owners of about 20 acres… that by the grace and provision of God has been paid in full…
Jim… slow clap thing…
Worship
Pizza party