THE ROOT FOR FRUIT HAS TO BE FAT

Michael Musembi

Sermon • Submitted 6 years ago

0 ratings

· 2 views

Notes

Transcript

Sermon Tone Analysis

Emotion

Language

Social

View more →

INTRODUCTION

over the past years there has been a craze about eating healthy and watching what we eat coz we are a product of what we eat.

so earlier on dietitians informed us that we need to get rid of all FAT because that is what is giving us diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.

but after a few years of research we are now told that not all FAT is bad

infact there is Fat that is completely neccessary for a healthy you.

so fats that come from avocados, fish, nuts, certain types of cheese, eggs are good for you....

the problem is the bad fat, the processed fat cakes,

cookies, ice cream, thick steaks, milk shakes,

black forest, caramel cake.. kuku za broil. those are the bad fats.

so if the root of your diet is this processed food, the fruit of your body will not be health but sickness

now in our christian walk we need the root of good fat so that we can have the fruit of a healthy spiritual life and God can use us. God is looking for FAT christians. so lets look at this fat Christians God is looking for. those who have a healthy root.

I) THE “F” IN FAT STANDS FOR FAITHFULNESS

FAITHFULNESS BEGINS WITH THE CHARACTER OF GOD

faithfulness is a characteristic of God’s loyalty and devotion to his people. the Hebrew word is AMUN from where we get the swahili word AMANI- it meant to be fixed, to be stable, the idea of trustworthiness is what is meant by this word faithfulness.

in the 67 times faithfulness appears in the NT it is the word PISTOS from the root word for faith PISTIS. means from my faith comes a belief, a conviction that is so strong that I commit myself to it. if there is one word that describes all this is the word DEPENDABILITY

FAITHFULNESS BEGINS WITH THE CHARACTER OF GOD

Jeremiah had seen the destruction of his country and city Jerusalem. he had seen the total destruction of it but he says

it is because of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed because he is a faithful GOD. he is trustworthy, he is loyal, he is dependable, He is reliable.

FAITHFULNESS IS THE CHARACTER OF HIS WORD psalms 119:81-86

my soul faints for your salvation, but i hope in your word

the enemy seeks to make an end of me on this earth persecuting me without cause, but your commandments are faithful, help me Lord.

faithfulness, dependability, reliable, stable is the word of the Lord. if he has spoken it, it will surely come to pass.

because God is a faithful God, his word is a faithful word.

ILLUSTRATION

of all the ancient races that have lived and existed only the Jew is still here. we are unable to trace where the Girgashite is, or where the Amorites, or Amalekites, or the canaanites or the philistines are yet the jew is still here intact and thriving.

a Russian writer called Tolstoy contemplated this when he asked who is this Jew?

what kind of unique race is this whom all the rulers of all the nations of the world have disgraced and crushed

and expelled and destroyed, persecuted, burned and drowned, and who, despite all this continue to live and to flourish. what race is this surely?

THE ANSWER IS THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD AND HIS WORD.

He promised to Abraham that i will bless you and make your name great. i will bless those who bless you and i will curse those who curse you and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

the faithfulness of God and his word is what has taken the Jew through persecution after persecution.

every ruler and king and president of the earth that has attempted to annihilate this people has crushed and burned but the Jew continues.

the Haman’s of this world, the hitlers of this world have tried to destroy these people but the faithfulness of the Lord and his word has kept them because his word is forever settled in heaven.

APPLICATION

and it is the faithfulness of God and his word that brings us through. do you ever look back and just wonder how you made it over?

remember when you were in that drama with your marriage

or remember that time you were so sick and didn’t think you’d make it

or remember that time of the accident and you look at the wreck and wonder how you got out of it

or remember that time of despair when your money was acting funny and your finances were all toe up from the floor up and you thought you’d never see the Light of day

But God’s faithfulness brought you over, his dependability, he was loyal to you

and though you went through the valley of the shadow of death

and your enemies thought you were finished

he made a feast for you in the presence of your enemies and told them do not touch that one they are mine.

It is out of this faithfulness that God calls us to be faithful. God values and chooses faithful men and women. 2 Timothy 2:1-2

they tell us that Christianity is always one generation away from extermination, because if one generation gets it wrong all other generations after that will get it wrong

that is why you are seeing the devil so adamant in getting us wrong with fake miracles and demonic manifestations from pulpits across Africa and the world,

because if he can plant tares amongst us and distort the doctrines of the faith he can pollute all the other generations after us .

so the Holy Spirit through Paul tells Timothy appoint men and women who have been faithful-

not just men, the word there Anthropos is generic not specific just to the male species.

choose men and women who have been shown to be faithful and commit to them the Doctrines of the faith.

the criterion of selection is not eloquence or charisma or public influence or popularity but faithfulness.

dependability, reliability, stable choose such as these.

ILLUSTRATION

I can only speak of the environment i work in.

Here in the church under the leadership of the senior pastor of the church and because of the future we believe God is taking us to.

we are beginning to put processes in place, systems, policies.

Now God has anointed one particular individual amongst us who is has the unique gifting to put these policies, systems, calendars, processes in place and the amount of work that is required to just do all that stuff is so much

but she is faithful in what she does, reliable, dependable and she is straightening so many things and making the work take shape- that is what faithfulness does

for the RKCs to run, for the evangelism ministry to run, for GA and the mens ministry to run, for the care ministry to run, the worship ministry, the work has been committed to faithful men and women who pour their devotion and dependability to it the work so that it can be handed to the next generation intact and thriving to the glory of God

for the RKCs to run, for the evangelism ministry to run,

for GA and KDC and the mens ministry to run,

for the care ministry to run, for the children and teens

the worship ministry, the work has been committed to faithful men and women who pour their devotion and dependability to the work so that it can be handed to the next generation intact and thriving to the glory of God

HOW DO YOU KNOW THEY ARE FAITHFUL- BECAUSE THEY HAVE COME SUCCESSFULLY THROUGH 3 PROCESSES

TESTING

TIME

DEPENDABILITY NOT SUCCESS

when one is tested and time is applied to it and they are found to be dependable, they are reliable then they can be chosen.

secondly it is their faithfulness that is being monitored by God not their success.

ILLUSTRATION

a politician once visited Mother Teresa in India to see her work amongst the poor of Calcutta.

After seeing it he asked how can you bear this LOAD without being crushed—she told him my sir

a former senator Mark Hatfield visited Mother Teresa in India to see her work amongst the poor of Calcutta. After seeing it he asked how can you bear this LOAD without being crushed—she told him my dear senator—GOD CALLED ME TO B FAITHFUL NOT SUCCESSFUL

GOD CALLED ME TO FAITHFUL NOT SUCCESSFUL

QUOTATION

In your day of small beginnings attend to your ministry with faithfulness and GOD will attend to its magnitude and scope. It is not our job to create the magnitude that is his job- ours is faithfulness.

II) THE “A” IN FAT IS AVAILABILITY

GOD IS LOOKING FOR AVAILABILITY

Availability means suitable and ready for use- to be close at hand.

Isaiah in chapter 6 gets a visitation from the Lord and it reads

The New King James Version Chapter 6

In the year that aKing Uzziah died, I bsaw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.

The New King James Version Chapter 6

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:

“Whom shall I send,

And who will go for iUs?”

Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

a question was asked in the heavenlies- who will go for us to this generation and Isaiah answered Here am I send me.

the same question is being asked in the heavenlies- who will go for us

it is a question of availability

SOMETIMES THE REASON WE DON’T AVAIL OURSELVES-

SOMETIMES THE REASON WE DON’T AVAIL OURSELVES- we are double minded

we are double minded

We fear he might ask us to give up something we don’t want to Or we are scared of the price it will cost to serve him totally and so we don’t avail ourselves Or we frankly feel we know what is best for our lives and so we don’t avail ourselves

We fear he might ask us to give up something we don’t want to

Or we are scared of the price it will cost to serve him totally and so we don’t avail ourselves

Or we frankly feel we know what is best for our lives and so we don’t avail ourselves

APPLICATION

but it is not for you to determine what you will become

it is for you to DISCOVER what he put you here for.

And that is where your deepest satisfaction will come from.

ILLUSTRATION

I was not one to enter the ministry, I never even had the desire, I wanted to be a musician, that is what i wanted to be.

like i have said here before

when I went to America i wanted to be a jazz bass player.

so I would attend church or other activities and chill on the side so that I could pull out without commitment or repercussions

i did not want to get involved in anything and if i did i did not stay long so that nothing is tied to me. But God.

I did not want to get involved in anything and if i did i did not stay long so that nothing is tied to me. But God.

one day Dad Masinde came to visit us in Houston and he preached on the passage in

The New International Version Chapter 3

I want to knowh Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings,i becoming like him in his death,j 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrectionk from the dead.

12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal,l but I press on to take holdm of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.n

I want to know Christ the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

I press on to attain that for which Christ attained me for.

press on to attain that for which Christ attained me for. when Christ was dying for me there was something he was attaining for me but also something he was attaining of me. there is something he wanted me to become and my pursuit in life is not to determine what that thing is, it is to discover what it is. and Paul is saying I press on that to possess that for which Christ possessed me.

12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal,l but I press on to take holdm of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

when Christ was dying for me there was something he was attaining for me

but also something he was attaining of me.

there is something he wanted me to become and my pursuit in life is not to determine what that thing is, it is to discover what it is.

and Paul is saying I press on that to possess that for which Christ possessed me.

something that day changed in my life and i changed from Michael the unavailable, scared of what it might cost me, fearing he may ask me something i don’t want to give up

h See ver 8

something that day changed in my life and i changed from Michael the unavailable, scared of what it might cost me, fearing he may ask me something i don’t want to give up

i See

to Michael the available one. here am I Lord send me.

GOD CALLS

j See

PARENTHETICALLY BE FOUND DOING SOMETHING

I The LORD never calls slothful people who are just chilling

k See ; See ; ,

JUST BECAUSE someone prophesied to you and informed you that you will have a world wide ministry

so you have quit your job and are just chilling waiting on that world wide ministry to start.

It will never happen.

No participation in the children’s church nothing in the helps ministry or hosts—or pastoral ministries or arranging something – because you are waiting – worldwide ministries.

No participation in the children’s church

nothing in the helps ministry or hosts—

or pastoral ministries or arranging something – because you are waiting – worldwide ministries.

b) EXAMPLE—IN ACTS CHAP 6 we see 7 men chosen by the church to take care of the affairs of the church

n ,

ILLUSTRATION

IN ACTS CHAP 6 we see 7 men chosen by the church to take care of the affairs of the church

The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), .

Called deacons—waiters Flipped the burgers in church picnics Took out the trash and washed the cars Arranged the seating in the church and took care of the menial jobs

Called deacons—waiters took care of the Nyam Chom at the Mens meetings

carried the sodas in church picnics

Took out the trash and washed the cars

Arranged the seating in the church and took care of the menial jobs

Persecution broke out in the church- and one of these waiters ran to Samaria --- and in acts chapter 8 we see Philip preaching to the city of Samaria with such power and miracles, signs and wonders that the city was converted—Philip the waiter became Philip the evangelist

Persecution broke out in the church- and one of these waiters ran to Samaria

and in ACTS chapter 8 we see Philip preaching to the city of Samaria with such power and miracles, signs and wonders that the city was converted—Philip the waiter became Philip the evangelist

He availed himself to GOD in the minor tasks and GOD trusted him with the MAJOR tasks

When God comes looking let him find you doing something—be available.

THE F IS FOR FAITHFULNESS, THE A IS FOR AVAILABILITY, THE T IS FOR TEACHABLENESS

III) GOD IS LOOKING FOR A TEACHABLE SPIRIT

I If I was to pick just one of the three I would pick this one

ii the word teach in Hebrew is MUSAR—meaning to instruct, to correct by rebuke, it can also mean to chastise, it can also mean to bring down the rod of correction especially with regards to bringing up children.

the word is usually instruct especially in the OT- the word MUSAR

meaning to instruct, to correct by rebuke,

it meant to train, it can also mean to chastise, it can also mean to bring down the rod of correction especially with regards to bringing up children.

a teachable spirit is so so crucial to God

that in the first nine chapters of proverbs

iii a teachable spirit is so so crucial to God that in the first nine chapters of proverbs they all begin with an admonishment to heed instruction.

they all begin with an admonishment to heed instruction.

The New King James Version Chapter 2

My son, if you receive my words, And atreasure my commands within you,

2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom,

And apply your heart to understanding;

The New King James Version Chapter 3

My son, do not forget my law,

aBut let your heart keep my commands;

2 For length of days and long life

And bpeace they will add to you

The New King James Version Chapter 4

Hear, amy children, the instruction of a father,

And give attention to know understanding;

2 For I give you good doctrine:

Do not forsake my law.

A TEACHABLE SPIRIT HAS AN APPROACH AND AN ATTITUDE

The approach is to receive what is being taught or instructed and then apply what is being taught

the attitude is that a teachable spirit has to have humility

I one receives what is taught and then in turn they apply it

a teachable spirit has to be predicated by Humility.

a teachable spirit is predicated by a humble spirit

ii a teachable spirit is predicated by a humble spirit

You have to be willing to put on the yoke that the teacher puts on you and learn from them….8-29

You have to be willing to put on the yoke that the teacher puts on you and learn from them….

ILLUSTRATION:

the training of the young bulls – if you have ever grown in the country side and had to yoke bulls to dig a shamba you know that to train a young inexperienced bull you had to tie it to an older experienced bull

the young bull would want to do things on its own possibly go in a different direction and the trained bull would yank the yoke

pulling it to the right direction—

the young bull would want to sit down but the older trained bull would yank the yoke eventually the young bull would be trained –

the key to it is the yoke of teaching

Similarly the person with a teachable spirit- puts on the yoke of GOD’s word

comes under older men and women in the ministry and or in the marketplace and see how ministry and marketplace is modeled

be instructed and sometimes those older ones will rebuke, chastise why because that is instruction and discipline and instruction

Taught how to think speak and act- sometimes want to do our own thing but the HOLY SPIRIT pulls us back

ILLUSTRATION

i was talking to the teens last week in teens church and we were talking about fatherhood and what it is and i challenged them about a concern i have

sometimes we feel we do not need fathers because we have so much information that we mistake information for formation

we mistake expertise for experience

just because we are so savvy in our electronics, we have google, we know the ins and outs of FB, Twitter, Instagram we think we know it all because it is a google away

and i challenged them to honor their fathers because we may know how to shoot an arrow but our fathers know when to shoot that arrow.

ILLUSTRATION

when Nathan was born.

we had all the information,

we could google, we could check it out on Yahoo!

we were the experts but she had the experience.

GOD IS LOOKING FOR A TEACHABLE SPIRIT.

CONCLUSION

GOD IS LOOKING FOR FAT CHRISTIANS- TO BEAR FRUIT IN YOUR LIFE YOU NEED TO BE FAT

FAITHFULNESS

AVAILABILITY

OR BEING TEACHABLE.

WHICH OF THE THREE DO YOU NEED TO WORK ON.

we had the information but

Related Media

Related Sermons