Be free but be slaves
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Be free but be slaves- Intro
Be free but be slaves- Intro
I was really struck by peoples reaction after last week, we heard Chris speak about the power of our tongue, when coupled with the word of God, I have never seen the prayer chain so authoritative. the txts changed from the dear God if it pleases you, and the wind is blowing in the right direction and if I have not upset you by wearing the wrong coloured socks would you pretty please if it is not to much trouble...”. to speaking in the authority that we have in Christ.
LISA - Schools Prayer
Michelle -
5 I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.
Psalm 130
14 Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.
Jeremiah
What changed - we are still the same people we were before last Sunday. God is still the same God, We have the same Holy Spirit now as we did last Saturday.
So what changed. What was different is people grabbed hold of the truth and ran with it.
I feel that we started to look at the reality of the world through the promises of God and the Spiritual reality rather the simply the physical. We looked towards the result hat is yet to come with the hope that can only come from faith.
It is that reward that is yet to come that I want to start with today.
I want to read from 1 peter .
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
1 peter 1:3
V3-4 our prize (our inheritance ) is secure it will not perish or fade away
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V4-5 we are shielded by Gods faith
16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
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V 6 - Rejoice - not even in troubles and trial - but because of troubles and trials.
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Faith is what brings about the strength to get to the end of the race - It is the thing that gives us the riches of today before we get to the inheritance of the future.
In Lewis Carolls Alice through the looking glass the White Queen tries to hire Alice with the Promise of Jam every other day.
Alice couldn't help laughing, as she said, "I don't want you to hire me – and I don't care for jam."
"It's very good jam," said the Queen.
"Well, I don't want any to-day, at any rate."
"You couldn't have it if you did want it," the Queen said. "The rule is, jam to-morrow and jam yesterday – but never jam to-day."
"I'm sure I'll take you with pleasure!" the Queen said. "Two pence a week, and jam every other day."
Alice couldn't help laughing, as she said, "I don't want you to hire me – and I don't care for jam."
"It's very good jam," said the Queen.
"Well, I don't want any to-day, at any rate."
"You couldn't have it if you did want it," the Queen said. "The rule is, jam to-morrow and jam yesterday – but never jam to-day."
Faith in our Saviour is not like that We hear that our prize is in heaven but we are also blessed now, even in times of testing. We get Jam today and Jam tomorrow, and Jam in eternity. the best thing is the best is yet to come but we are given so much now.
We hear that our prize is in heaven but what about now.
Keeping in mind that whatever we have now is a blessing from our father but there is bigger and better and imperishable things to come can be a liberating thought. When things are not going well it is easy to try and hang onto what we have, to stick with what we know, to forget the future promises and stay with the the known that we have today. But that is not what God wants for out lives, God is forever on the move with us.
Faith is
That is why we call it a journey of faith. That is why the early believers referred to themselves as follower of The Way
from
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Sign Post image
We sometime forget that don’t move on along the way.
When Jesus refers to himself being the Way that we are to follow -
That way is speaking about three things.
Firstly the Way we are to go - It is a sign post, a direction that Thomas needed and we need to follow.
Secondly it speaks of purposes of God. You know roads and paths have a purpose they lead somewhere.
God wants to progress us on to new things
God wants to progress us on to new things
Our prize and our time today
19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
isaiah
is
Boyed up be the messages this week - speak the word
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Bigger things
Bigger things
2 “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.
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With a closer relationship
With a closer relationship
Isaiah 54:2
4 Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.
Sometimes this means letting go of things to allow this to happen.
Giving up something now for something better later is not a sacrifice. It is an investment. - Andy Stanley
When Jesus refers to himself being the Way that we are to follow -
That way is speaking about three things.
Firstly the Way we are to go - It is a sign post, a direction that Thomas needed and we need to follow.
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Walking in Faith and Kingdom Authority Power of the Holy spirit.
Walking in Faith and Kingdom Authority Power of the Holy spirit.
As Paul writes
16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.
The secret to getting through
11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
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Take it on by joining the journey
Take it on by joining the journey
Last week we saw a change in the spiritual atmosphere as we stepped into the authority of God, a week later some of that may have wained a bit - but I wanted to remind you of the sort of Journey we are on with our amazing God.
Do you believe all this?
Do you believe that God wants good for you?
Do you believe that God wants better for you?
Do you believe that God is equipping you.
Do you want to be renewed refresh transformed?
Get on the journey.
What that way says about you
What that way says about you
That is third part of the Way
one on a public path becomes known and his goal and purposes are revealed by the road he takes.
If we want to step into everything that God has in store for us we have to find the correct way (Jesus), and we have to follow it. Like most journeys we have the option to take different routes, diversions, stop offs. in the end our goal and our purpose is shown by what we do, what we say and what we prioritise.
Giving up something now for something better later is not a sacrifice. It is an investment. - Andy Stanley
I think Peter give us an amazing pointer to how to keep on the path with the correct focus in 1 Peter chapter 2.
Live as free people but choose to be slaves. - contradiction.
Live as free people but choose to be slaves. - contradiction.
Peter gives us this contradiction
Be Free and be slaves Image.
You will always be a slave to something
16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.
He reminds us that we are free, Christ has bought that freedom for us.
and then he encourages us to be slaves of God.
That freedom allows us to do anything but we have to choose to do the right thing.
realise it or not we will always be a slave to something - Make it God.
Sometimes this means letting go of things to allow this to happen. Have we become a slave to others opinions of us, or a slave to apathy or expected disappointment - Sometime we need help in being freed from these things - this is where the authority that Chris spoke of last week comes in
Have we become a Slave to work? to Other activities to poor choices, to things that were of God but their season has past
Giving up something now for something better later is not a sacrifice. It is an investment. - Andy Stanley
Those of us who were at home group saw this .
video
Are we a Slave to our lack of Self Control, the fruit of the spirt we like to skip over? we get love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, but self-control is not an easy one. we are often tripped up by our lack of discipline, we lose focus and get distracted.
Sometimes it is about focus and not being distracted.
As I was preparing this message I got this email
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I signed up to Go Jauntily to discover some walks to get me out walking - My aim, my purpose was to walk to exercise.
The mail I got gave me a walk but with the enticing Pub at the end of it, I am not sure that distraction would allow me to active my aim. Walk in the cold versus a beer in the warm. I know which might win.
The same is true with use - Time spent tackling the hard text in Leviticus or time in front of the goggle box. I know which might win
Time spent seeing our friend Louis in the nursing home or a quick trip round the shops. I know which might win.
Time in prayer - or time asleep …
We do need to be careful about what
Being a Slave to God is not about cutting our selves off, or removing all the non Church things from out lives. That would be wrong we are called to live life with others, be part of their journey too. showing them to the Way not by our words (though that helps) but by our actions, by our compassion, our love as do life with them. We are however, called to be different, not to be typical.
Don’t be typical
2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. 3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
Hope .
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“People who follow Jesus, though, are no longer typical - God is constantly inviting them into a life that moves away from typical.”
― Bob Goff, Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World
if we start to waver from the path that God has called us to we start to become like the world we become typical and ...
“The people who slowly became typical have the greatest problem wrapping their minds around a dynamic friendship with an invisible, alive God.”
― Bob Goff, Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World
Conclusion
Conclusion
“Think the thoughts you would think if you wholeheartedly trusted God's promises.”
― Bob Goff, Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World
God has an amazing reward for us and an amazing experience of a journey for each of us. It doesn’t matter if you are young or coming late to this journey. It makes no difference if you are at the start of this journey or have been on it for years. God has new things in store, bigger, brighter, better. There may be some challenges but God has given you the authority through his word, and equipped you through his spirt and faith to overcome everyone of them. How quick and how far you travel is up to you.
Jesus declared himself as the Way. recognise the way and choose to follow it, - for the first time or renewed. The way is lined with the purposes of God - get to know these in your life. Finally resolve to set your path so that demonstrates your goals and purposes as someone who is not typical, someone that is not just of this world but as a child of the living God, a heir to an amazing inheritance.
“I learned that faith isn’t about knowing all of the right stuff or obeying a list of rules. It’s something more, something more costly because it being present and making a sacrifice. Perhaps that’s why Jesus is sometimes called Immanuel - “God with us.” I think that’s what God had in mind, for Jesus to be present, to just be with us. It’s also what He has in mind for us when it comes to other people.”
― Bob Goff, Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World
Cf
1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. 15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
Self Help BooksR. L Adams “How to Not Lose all Hope in Life”Re-assess the situationchange your focusdoes not change the problem Fill your heart with gratitudejust be thankful for what you do haveeasier said then doneBe objective and honest about the situationassess without biasimpossible for us to doLean on others for supportallow others to helpsometimes others cannot helpTrust in your faith...finally!faith in what? faith in faith? what is that?Sometimes, we need to have a little trust and faith in good things to come and understand that while all things might not be in our control or power, things do happen for a reason. While we might not always understand the reason at the time, one most certainly always exists.Whether you’re Christian, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, or just believe in a unifying spiritual energy that binds us all, having faith means that you have trust and confidence in good things to come. And we can rely on our faith to help restore our hope.While it’s easier said than done, hope can be restored over time, and all hope isn’t lost, even when we go through the roughest of times. Whatever doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger. We have to believe in the grand design of things, and that good things will eventually happen because human beings weren’t created just to survive — we were created to thrive.Sermon Outlines for Seekers Keep Hope Alive ()
Sometimes in spite of all the positive thinking we can generate, life is really terrible. Simple optimism will not do. Genuine hope must go beyond positive thinking. Genuine hope is not, “Wishing for something you know isn’t going to happen.” It is not an idle wish at all.
Our Need
Our Need
Sermon Outlines for Seekers Keep Hope Alive ()
Seeker issue: The need to develop a hope based on Biblical truth
Open your Bible to Malachi 4Malachi 4 ESV1 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. 3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts. 4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. 5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”V5-6Malachi 4:5–6 ESV5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”Pew BibleBlank Sheet of Paper Pg 805?Represents over 400 years!Genuine Hope = ESV8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” 18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” ESV3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,1. The ORIGIN of genuine hope [3a]Antiques Road Show - genuine or fake?all REAL hope is derived from God and His promisesgenuine hope is a GIFT of mercygenuine hope is a RESULT of salvation.we were born into a living hope!2. The FOUNDATION of genuine hope [3b]the foundation is the WORK and MINISTRY of Jesus.The resurrection of Jesus is CRUCIAL in the formation of genuine hope.it makes ALL the difference1 Peter 1:4–5 ESV4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.3. The DURABILITY of genuine hope [4]IMPERISHABLEspeaks of its essenceUNDEFILEABLEspeaks of its purityUNFADINGspeaks of its beautyREADYspeaks of its guarantee ESV6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.4. The POWER of genuine hope [6-7]it helps us to face our trials with JOYit helps us face our trials with COURAGE1 Peter 1:8–9 ESV8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.5. The WONDER of genuine hope [8-9]we love a PERSON we have never seenwe long to go to a PLACE we have never visitedgenuine hope concerns our greatest NEED - salvationHeb 11.1Hebrews 11:1 ESV1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Closing
Closing
Sermon Outlines for Seekers Keep Hope Alive ()
Hope is a powerful concept. Without hope in the future, we have no power in the present. Hope may keep us alive. Without hope there is no reason to live. It has been said, “Life without Christ is a hopeless end, but life with Christ is an endless hope.”
Sermon Outlines on the Book of . The Christian’s Hope
WE ARE NOT ASHAMED of the ground of our hope. Our hope rests upon the solemn promises of God, which He made to us by His prophets and apostles, and confirmed in the person and work of His dear Son. Inasmuch as Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead, we who are one with Him by faith are sure that we shall rise again from the dead and live with Him. The fact of Christ’s resurrection is the assurance of our resurrection, and His entrance into glory is the pledge of our glorification because we are made one with Him by the purpose and grace of God. As we fell in Adam by virtue of our being in him, so we rise and reign with Jesus because we are in Him. God is not the God of the dead, but of the living; yet is He the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, and therefore these men are yet alive. Even thus do we believe concerning all who die in the faith that they have not ceased to be, but they all live to Him.
—Spurgeon