'A Journey of Faith'
Sermon Two Title: The Journey of Faith
Text: Various
Series: The Nativity Story
Idea: The gift of faith is the journey of becoming a gift for God.
Purpose: To illustrate 3 things we do in becoming a gift to God in this journey of faith.
KW:
I. How do I become a gift to God?
This morning I want to remind you of the three opportunities Asbury is providing for you to give to another this Christmas season. (Go over bulletin that lists the community dinner, the Grays shower, and a benevolent offering for those in our own family) What is the theme in these three requests? The idea of a gift-giving and receiving!
How many of you like to give or receive gifts? Do any of you consider your love language to be that of acts of gifts?
What I mean is this: you love to give gifts and you remember the day you received a gift the time, place and the reason. You remember giving the gift, who got it, why it was given; you may even remember what the weather was like. If this is your language, then a primary love language is ‘acts of gifts.’
God loves us with acts of gifts. How do I know? John 3:16 is a tag on the greatest present ever made.
“God’s Son is His gift to us, what we become is our gift to Him.”
How do I become a gift to God?
II. Becoming a gift starts with your veggies daily: eat your pea’s-plan, prepare, prayer and patience.
Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. –James 5:7
Greg Laurie writes,
“The early rains in Israel would usually come in late October or early November. These were anxiously awaited by the farmer, because they would soften the hard-baked soil for plowing. The latter rains would come in late April or May. These were essential to the maturing of the crops. If the farmer were to rush out and harvest his crops before their time, he would destroy them. So he had to wait.
James knew that patience was also an important factor in awaiting the Lord’s return. He wrote, “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain” (James 5:7).
No crop appears overnight. Like farmers, we need to be patient and recognize that it takes time for growth to happen in our lives. However, the word “patience” does not speak of a passive resignation, but of an expectant waiting for the Lord. This is not a casual, nonchalant approach. Rather, it is an excited expectancy, a readiness.
Some believers don’t live this way. They just passively bide their time. But the Bible tells us we should be actively preparing as we await the return of Christ.”
Look at Luke 12:37; 21:34; 2 Pet 3:14-15
· Prepare a vision; Have you prepared a vision based on these verses?
· Plan for it; What needs to change to make this vision happen?
· Pray that others will see it; To help them see what your doing and will join you.
· Patiently wait for the Lord; Wait for Him to make your vision happen.
What is your vision for next 2008 year? What do you see in next 2 years, 5 years? How does Asbury fit into that vision?
III. Work on your 3 R’s: God’s school of reading and writing and arithmetic works differently than ours.
How do you get three R’s from Reading, Writing and Arithmetic? Nonetheless, these are foundations that the public school system was built on. The school of the Scriptures talks about God’s economy of reading, writing and arithmetic, which is very different from what we learn in our schools. Here are some examples:
“The first will be last and the last will be first.” (First is Last and Last is First?)
“If you want to gain your life you must lose it” (like saying 1 – 1 = 1?)
Here is a Scriptural English lesson:
· A word greater than Ability is Availability
"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her." Luke 1:38
Mary’s Little Lamb?
Have you ever really thought about Mary and her role in Jesus' life, we should recognize the strong faith and devotion she had to God.
Mary’s little lamb was the Son of God. A Treasure of incalculable worth lay inside a jar of clay. (remember the clip where Mary asks Joseph how they will recognize that the boy she is carrying is the Son of God)
Scripture says that we carry a treasure from heaven inside of us, but like Mary, we are just vessels of clay displaying the power of a great God.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. -2 Corinthians 4:7
Greg Laurie writes,
“When Peter and John were brought before the Sanhedrin, it was a source of complete amazement that these untrained laymen could be so well-versed in the Scriptures--and more importantly, in their understanding. They were ordinary fishermen, salt-of-the-earth-type people. This doesn't mean they were illiterate. But they had not attended the rabbinical schools or spent their lives in the study of the Scripture.
Acts 4:13 tells us that when these religious leaders "saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus." These simple fishermen appeared to be better-equipped than the professionals were. How did this happen? The disciples had been with Jesus. They were boldly sharing their faith. They knew the Scriptures. They were men who prayed.
This should give hope and encouragement to those who think of themselves as ordinary people. Maybe God has not called you to be a pastor, a missionary, or some professional ministry position. But God can use you too. It is clear that He is looking for ordinary men and women to bring the gospel message to others.
God can use you where you are. The opportunities are there. There is a mission field where you work. There is a mission field where you go to school. There is a mission field in your neighborhood. You are God's representative, and He is calling you to go into this world and speak up for Him. God is not looking so much for ability as He is looking for availability. So make yourself available to Him.”
IV. Work out in pares: compliment and don’t compare or compete with each other’s journey.
Balloon Stomp Game Raises Interesting Question
Robert Roberts writes about a 4th grade class where the teacher introduced a game called The Balloon Stomp. A balloon was tied to every child's ankle, and the object of the game was to pop everybody else's balloon while protecting your own. The last person with an intact balloon would win the game. The concept was if I win, then you lose.
The 9-year-olds entered into the spirit of things vigorously. When the battle was over in a matter of seconds, only one balloon was still inflated. And, of course, its owner was the most disliked kid in the room.
A second class came later that day and were asked to play the same game—only this time the class was filled with developmentally disabled children. The Balloon Stomp proceeded quite differently. When the instructions were given, it seemed the only idea they grasped was that the balloons were supposed to be popped. But instead of fighting each other off, the children got the idea that they were supposed to help one another pop balloons. They formed a kind of balloon-stomp co-op.
One little girl knelt down and held her balloon carefully in place—like the holder for a field goal kicker—while a little boy stomped it flat and then knelt down and held his balloon still for her to stomp.
On and on it went, all the children helping one another in the great stomp. When the very last balloon was popped, everybody cheered—and everybody won.
The question you have to ask is this: "Who got the game right, and who got the game wrong?"
Dave Stone, in the sermon "A Reason for Self-Denial" (Southeast Christian Church, Louisville, Kentucky); citing Robert Roberts, An Essay in Aid of Moral Psychology (Cambridge University, 2003); submitted by Van Morris, Mount Washington, Kentucky
Heb 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
How can you beat the cycle? You win with God when you compliment and compare or compete against each other. Each race is unique. For me, I have always envied the path of other people. My years in hockey did not curb my covetousness but actually fostered it. It is no problem for them to run the race, look at all the money they have in their bank account. Some of you are saying, sure, they have a husband who is still alive, or yes, they have no real health concerns like the ones I am facing.
Someone else's race might seem easier than your own, but God says, "I want you to run this race. Don't think about others."
Instead, learn to compliment each others race-learn to be spotter. Do you know what a spotter does?
Joseph stands with Mary and faces public scorn. We need each other, we need our husbands to support us, we need our wives to support us, we need our parents and children to support us.
The three kings are encouraging each other through the difficult and grumbling trip for their homeland to Bethlehem.
Talk about the fact that you are not alone in this journey.
The gift of faith is the journey of becoming a gift for God.
It starts with the greatest gift of all, that of God’s one and only Son to a work lost in its perilous pursuits for pleasure and happiness outside of God’s will.
‘Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God’ (John 1:12-13)
\Do you remember when you recieved this gift? The date and the time and place? God does!
Come to Jesus and live!
Eat your P's
Ability is greater than availability
Compliment dont compare with each other.