FUEL TO SHIFT EPISODE 1

Welcome to Fuel to Shift with Pastor Joshua

I am Pastor Joshua Smith

I have been pastor at Community Christian Church in Nevada Mo since August of 2018

I am a bi-vocational pastor as I also am an elementary special education teacher and coach middle school football and high school girls wrestling

I want to take this first episode to explain the name of and heart behind this ministry

Fuel to Shift

I pray this program is an encouragement, and hopefully through the Holy Spirit conviction (Fuel) to put off, deny ourselves and take up our cross daily (Shift) so we may put off the old, sinful, nasty selves and die to our flesh and sin and the world

My heart is the same as God’s heart that all should come to repentance and none should perish

Transformation

as Hebrews says moving from milk to meat

milk is salvation....the starting point

meat is strong Biblical doctrine.....the Word of God....growing in Christian maturity through obedience and discipleship

before we can get there we must first understand salvation the milk

Romans 3:23 ESV

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

all are born sinners

all...even you....even me....have sinned and because of that sin have fallen short of the glory of God

what is the big deal with that

Romans 6:23 ESV

For the wages of sin is death.....

Because of that sin....the wages of that sin...the payment of that sin....the consequences of that sin is death

spiritual death....eternal separation from God in hell

that is what you and i deserve because of our sin....the wages...what we are owed because of our sin

but God loves you too much to leave you there....there is more to

Romans 6:23 ESV

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Jesus saves

God sent Jesus to die on the cross a perfect sacrifice

His blood shed and given to pay those wages

to pay the debt you and I could never pay that is the free gift

just as with any gift all you have to do is accept it

how

Romans 10:9–10 ESV

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord....die to self...take up your cross daily...make Jesus Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead which is Faith.....then you are saved

Now that free gift, just like many gifts, comes with responsibility

if you are given a puppy as a gift it is free but you have responsibilities...if you dont feed and care for it it will die

same with salvation it is free but comes with responsibility

Luke 9:23–26 ESV

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Jesus gives us an explaination of our responsibility

die to self

die to you

die to your sind

because of your sin you deserve spiritual death and hell but in Jesus and the free gift of salvation you receive eternal life

because of that you gladly give up your worldly life lived for you

lived for sin

lived for the world

in order to live a spiritually, Holy Spirit driven life for Jesus!

This is where Fuel to Shift begins

looking at what it means to deny ourselves and take up our cross daily

I believe Colossians 3 gives us a great example of what this looks like

Colossians 3:1 ESV

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

The first thing we need to take from this section of scripture is that you need to

Die to your priorities and put God’s priorities into action

seek those things above

seek God’s priorities

remember God’s heart is none should perish but all come to repentance so therefore top priority is spreading the Gospel so those who are lost may find repentance that leads to salvation in Jesus

The other top priority is keeping Jesus commandments....growth....discipleship.....if you are not being discipled by Christ and discipling others you are not growing....you are stagnant....chances are you are still on the milk of salvation

Church God is serious about this

pastor josh I dont have time....make time

I have realized I struggle with pride and used to think

he with the busiest schedule wins

the win in this case is a heart attack or illness or failure

Die to your priorities and put God’s priorities into action

Jesus talks about this in

Matthew 6:25–34 ESV

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

How many of you waste so much time worrying about these things?

How many of you put these things ahead of God

you worry about them

you think about them

you work longer hours to make more money to spend on them

the problem is you are trying to provide them

God is your provider

God is your protector

God knows exactly what you need

SEEK HIM and all those things will be added unto you

Now many today preach and believe in the prosperity gospel.....believe in Jesus and you will be rich

give lots of money to the church and the celebrity pastor and you will have good health and be wealthy

that is not what Jesus is talking about

No Jesus is saying die to your priorities and put God’s priorities into action then I got you......most of the time we are doing service to God to get something in return instead of doing it out of awe and respect and gratitude for what HE already did for us on the cross!!!!!!

Are you truly seeking God’s Kingdom first?

or are you seeking your kingdom and worldly things....food....shelter...clothing....stuff....money...power...presitge...standing etc

What does your fruit say about that

If God is your first and only priority that will dominate your life and schedule and thoughts

Colossians 3:2 ESV

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

Find direction only from God.....never the world

set your affection comes from a Greek word meaning to exercise the mind....entertain or have a sentiment or opinion......be of the same

Wow you are to exercise your mind on the things above.....the things of home......remember once you are saved your home is no longer this world but heaven above

exercise your mind thinking about worshiping Jesus face to face

exercise your mind thinking about God Himself wiping away every tear from your eye

entertain.....have a sentiment or opinion about what God says about heaven in His Word

be of the same mind as Christ...

Philippians 4:7–8 ESV

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

If you are not thinking on these things listed in that section of scripture you forfeit the peace of God which surpasses all understanding

how many of you lost sleep over

had anxiety about

worried about

the “protests” around the country that have been happening recently

if that lost sleep or anxiety or worry was about safety and cost you your peace you were in you not in Christ

We must control what we think about and dwell upon

when you are thinking about things of the world

when you are thinking about you

when you are thinking about sinful things

you are filled with anxiety

worry

depression

chaos

where there is chaos there is satan

where there is peace there is Jesus because Jesus is peace

when you think on the things in Philippians you have peace

how do you have Christ in your heart and minds

you think on these things

so many people.....Christians....you and me...want to take parts of scripture and memorize them and pull them out of context....so many quote verse 7 without doing verse 8 and then wonder why they dont have peace

In addition to losing your peace only found in Jesus we miss opportunities to share the Gospel and the peace of Jesus with others

There are so many walking around this town looking for Jesus but not finding Him because you and I are not looking for them

we are too busy with our agendas

we are too busy with our to do lists

we are so focused on us and our wants and desires

we are so focused on our families

we are so focused on so many other things that we miss the forest for the trees

we have set our affection on the things of this world not the things of God

we miss the people God placed in our path that day because we are not looking for them

every single day your top priority is to talk about Jesus

to shine His light into the darkness

to plant the seeds of the Gospel into someone’s or several someone’s lives

is that happening

is that your priority

are you seeking them out

are you talking to your brothers and sisters in Christ about God’s Word

shame on you if you are not

we are playing church

we are playing Christianity

we are not living as God’s ambassadors

you see God leaves us here after salvation because He created works....ministry....opportunities for you and i to do

that is why you and I live out the Gospel

that is why we invite people to church

that is why we are eager to do life together

is that your heart

Some of you it is absolutely your heart and your fruit shows it

for the rest of us it is time to get on board and do what God put us on this earth to do

seek Him and be His ambassador to the sinful

lost

broken

hurting world

God’s priorities must be your priorities and put into action

The only direction you follow is God’s not the worlds

Does God’s Word truly drive your life

your thinking

your decision making

I am going to leave off here and continue this next week

If you don’t know Jesus and have never made Him Lord and Savior of your life I would love to talk with you about that

You can reach out to me on our website

cccnevadamo.org go to the contact us tab fill that out and put in your message you saw me on Doug tv or heard my podcast and want to talk and I will get back with you as soon as possible

if you live in or around Nevada Mo come to church

Sunday 10:45 am and come up and talk with me after service and I will spend as much time as you need discussing whatever God has laid on your heart

if you want to come to church and live in or around Nevada Mo an need a ride call 417-448-0573

If you need prayer call 417-448-0531

I love you

God loves you so much more

See you next time!