All His and All In

Greeting - welcome - Introduction

describe love for breakfast food - lunch with Chris on Friday - do you know what the difference is between being involved and being committed?

on your breakfast plate of eggs and bacon, the chicken was involved…but the pig was committed.

that’s funny, but it makes me wonder:

In our walk with Jesus are we committed? or are we just involved?

I think it’s important to ask because last week, Pastor Christ took us through Revelation 2:1-7.

Ephesus had great programs, great leadership, stood against evil in its day but Jesus addresses their sin and says “you’ve lost your first love” and tells them to repent by “do the things you did first”

And that brings the question up:

What kind of things did Ephesus do when Jesus was the center of their affection? What did the church look like when they were all his and all in?

Read Scripture Acts 19:1-20

The same things Ephesus was called to do in repentance, we are called to do as disciples.

The Holy Spirit empowered them for the Gospel ministry

something was off - Gospel message was preached - they believed and immediately recieved the Holy Spirit.

The most important thing to understand: Without the holy Spirit, we are nothing but dry bones.

What am I without you? but a guide to my own downfall - Augustine

Notes:

They were Hungry for the Word of God

Paul goes to the synagogue - teaches for 3 months - leaves when Holy Spirit is rejected - believers follow him - hungry for word of God - That hunger didn’t go away

Notes:

They obeyed the Great Command out of love

How did the entire continent hear the Gospel? Not by Paul. by christians who obeyed the great commission out of love - 98% don’t share

98% of Christians do not share their faith and if a new born believer doesn’t share their faith with someone in the first 24 hours, there is a 95% chance they will join the 98% who never share.

Who have you shared the Gospel with in the last week? two weeks? a month?

They repented and sacrificed willingly

Notes:

God saved them out of evil and death - they openly repented and publically followed Jesus - left everything behind

does this describe you?

Practical Application

Do you have the Holy Spirit because you placed your faith in Jesus as your Lord?

Are you hungry for the word of God?

Do you joyfully obey they G.C. out of love?

Is your walk with Jesus filled with repentance and a willingness to follow Him no matter what you lose?

If not? Jesus calls you to repentance! This can be a reality because He loves you despite your sin, He died on the cross and rose again and this morning he calls you to come.

Vision

What would God accomplish with us, as the believers of Missionary Ridge if we were hungry for the Word of God, we obeyed the GC out of love, not obligation, and we pursued Jesus not matter what the cost?