W is for Welcome

Theme: God is to be Lord over every area of the believer’s life.

God is as loving and welcoming in the NT as the OT

God is viewed as cold and distant, but He is not

Is God invited into every area of your life? – or is He limited to a few compartments? Such as Sunday only in church.

Real Relationships are a 2 way street - including spiritual

God is welcoming to you- but are you welcoming to God?

· “I live in the real world” - vs Sunday church

· God MADE the real world - and He wants you in it with Him!

· What I do is my business – a man’s home is his castle - “leave God out of this”

· Does God feel comfortablehanging with you – or does He cringe?

Irony of privacy –

Like a guest visiting or a family member living in your home, they should feel welcomed. If you are born again, Jesus lives insideof you. As you travel, you take Jesus WITH you wherever you go, to work, the store, to church and at home. But that does not mean Jesus is automatically okay with everything we do or say.

Does Jesus feel welcome in your heart?

Let Jesus in!

Revelation 3:20 NLT

20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.

Is God Welcome at Your Home? – Personal Life

God knocks on: Bedroom door - Bedroom = Marriage – private life – thoughts

God knocks on: Kitchen door: - = Jesus is the unseen guest at the dinner table

· diet - eating (body is temple) - drinking

Is Jesus welcome in your wallet?

financial decisions Or is it – “it’s my money” – tithe belongs to God.

Living Room = child rearing, TV programs, favorite bands, apps okay with God?

Is God Welcome at Your Work? – Professional Life

God knocks on: Office door

Employed or self-employed – applies to both

Are you different on Sunday than on Monday?

Front office – where people see you

Back office – where people do not see you

Water cooler – gossip

Is Jesus Welcome to ride share?

God knocks on: Car door

Jesus is the unseen passenger in your car – is He riding shotgun or tossed in the back seat?

What would Jesus say about your driving habits? Is He white knuckling the dash when He is not pluging His ears from nasty radio stations or choice words from your mouth as you comment about the news and other drivers. – road rage? –

Is God’s wisdom welcomed in your decisions?

Do you ask God for His wisdom, will and timing?

Or do you follow trends, fads or your personal desires, even if they are contrary to God’s will?

Do you allow God to pick the career, job location, new hires, contracts, budget?

Is God Welcome at Your Activities? – Social Life

Neighbor – love as thyself?

Sports – soccer mom – overly competitive?

Heb 13:2 – show hospitality to strangers – entertained angels unawares

Matthew 25:39–40 NLT

39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

Social media – mean tweets?

Children – As a little child welcome me

Luke 9:48 NLT

48 Then he said to them, “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me also welcomes my Father who sent me. Whoever is the least among you is the greatest.”

Welcomed stranger - entertained angels

Ballot box – Is God welcomed in your political views and choices?

Do vote for the Bible, or against a personality?

Is God Welcome at Your Church? – Spiritual Life

God knocks on: Church door

Does God feel welcome in his own house?

· Dark comprehended not

· Own received not

Participation – attendance – go much?

Program – Spirit led or man’s tradition?

Bible – Is the Bible welcome in the Sermon?

· Did Jesus give the words that was said?

· Is Jesus pleased with what is said?

· Is God’s Word welcomed into your ears?

· Is the sermon Inspired or man’s marketing?

· is the message glorifying to God or pandering to people?

Mark 4:20 NLT

20 And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

1 Thessalonians 1:6 NLT

6 So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 NLT

13 Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe.

Preacher – is God’s representative welcomed? Do we hear the voice of God inside the voice of His man? Do we look beyond the messenger to welcome the message?

Matthew 10:40 NLT

40 “Anyone who receives you receives me, and anyone who receives me receives the Father who sent me.

Pew – are we Growing or sleeping?

Praise – Honor lips, hearts far away

Giving – full tithe?

Purpose and Will – following God’s or yours?

Is the Holy Spirit welcome in the church? –

· He is more than a song, more than gifts, but a Person.

· Is His will welcome to your plans? Gethsemane is a welcome to Thy will is welcome in my will.

Welcome each other

Romans 15:7 NLT

7 Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.

Are you a Spiritual squatter? Taking up residence in someone else’s home?

Why would God welcome you into His home if you did not welcome Him into yours?

Christian Atheism – The church’s un-welcome mat to God

If a person claims to know God, yet does not welcome God in every area of their life, that hypocrisy is called “Christian atheism” because the child of God rarely if ever welcomes God’s direction, and never His correction. He does not consult God and in practical terms, lives as if God does not exist. The result is living a life entirely by one’s own choosing. Resulting in failure.

Where God is unwelcome – man is unsuccessful

Dis invited

Divided country- a charter of a major political party rejects God

Destroyed children are a result of God. Not being welcomed in the home by the parents

A destroyed school is result of God not in classroom.

Economy

Nation

Church - weak, divided, irrelevant

Welcoming God brings blessing

What welcoming looks like:

Salvation is based on welcoming His blood into your spirit

healing is welcoming His stripes into your body

Peace is welcoming his love into your soul

Unity is welcoming His bond of peace into your family and country

Heaven is the ultimate welcome!

Perpetual

God welcomes all – even if it drew criticism. Won’t we do the same for Him?

Luke 15:2 (NLT)

2 This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associatingwith such sinful people—even eating with them!

Call to Action: Let Jesus in all areas

People will see Jesus in you – no matter where or when

Result – People will come to Christ – and God is glorified by a consistent lifestyle – of integrity