I'm Effective

Is there anyone in the room tonight who would say I want to be effective in everything I do…

I don’t want to miss out because I was not effective…

(NLT) — 15 Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.

ILLUSTRATION- (Something was not effective) Filling balloons up with ketchup

There are so many of us who are missing out on more because we have been ineffective… We have worked and toiled but gotten nothing out of it…

When I preach I want to be effective…

When I love I want to be effective…

When I serve I want to be effective…

KEY POINT- We always start effective, but it does not take long for life to wear on us and where we once were crushing it we are being crushed.

Tonights message is titled, “I’m effective”

(NLT) — 6 I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News

How often we do this…

The greek word for different way speaks to not an alternative to one but something completely different…

7 but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ. 8 Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. 9 I say again what we have said before: If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed.

9 I say again what we have said before: If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed. 10 Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant. 11 Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. 12 I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ. 13 You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. 14 I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors. 15 But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him 16 to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being. 17 Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus. 18 Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter, and I stayed with him for fifteen days. 19 The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I declare before God that what I am writing to you is not a lie. 21 After that visit I went north into the provinces of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And still the churches in Christ that are in Judea didn’t know me personally. 23 All they knew was that people were saying, “The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!” 24 And they praised God because of me.

10 Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant. 11 Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. 12 I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ. 13 You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. 14 I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors. 15 But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him 16 to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being. 17 Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus. 18 Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter, and I stayed with him for fifteen days. 19 The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I declare before God that what I am writing to you is not a lie. 21 After that visit I went north into the provinces of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And still the churches in Christ that are in Judea didn’t know me personally. 23 All they knew was that people were saying, “The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!” 24 And they praised God because of me.

MAIN POINT- If pleasing people is your goal you will not be effective.

9 I say again what we have said before: If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed. 10 Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant. 11 Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. 12 I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ. 13 You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. 14 I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors. 15 But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him 16 to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being. 17 Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus. 18 Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter, and I stayed with him for fifteen days. 19 The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I declare before God that what I am writing to you is not a lie. 21 After that visit I went north into the provinces of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And still the churches in Christ that are in Judea didn’t know me personally. 23 All they knew was that people were saying, “The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!” 24 And they praised God because of me.

(NLT) — 10 Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.

So you might think, how can I be effective then???

We can look at the words of Paul here in Galatians chapter 1.

MAIN POINT- YOU WILL NEVER BE EFFECTIVE UNLESS YOU BECOME INTENTIONAL.

WHAT YOU ARE INTENTIONAL ABOUT MATTERS…

1. Intentional Focus

(NLT) — 12 I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.

POINT- We have got to get back to a place where we are desperate for a word from Jesus.

I don’t care what the latest preacher has said if I can’t have a word from Christ, I don’t care about what some other person spoke into my life if I can’t have a word from Christ…

(NLT) — 3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.

KEY POINT- You have got to find your revelation by coming to know God through the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for us!

KEY- Perhaps the words God has been trying to speak into your life through other people and through preachers and teachers isn’t connecting because you have not heard it from God first.

KEY- Now more than ever, the world does not need the good advice and wisdom of man, it needs a revelation from God!

POINT- What you focus on you try to become.

ILLUSTRATION- When you hang out with someone and you start talking like them or acting like them.

We have a lot of imitators but not a lot of creators… Focus on the creator and you will create…

POINT- For me as a Pastor I can’t get my sermons from online preachers I will miss out on what God has for me for here.

You might be able to imitate someones words but you won’t be able to imitate their anointing…

2. Intentional Purpose

(NLT) — 15 But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him 16 to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being.

POINT- Your purpose needs cultivation.

POINT- Stop waiting for someone to step into their purpose before you step into yours.

POINT- Stop waiting for someone to join you before doing what you are called to do.

3. Intentional Discipleship

(NLT) — 16 …When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being. 17 Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus. 18 Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter, and I stayed with him for fifteen days.

ILLUSTRATION- Wanting to be like Nathan Key

POINT- You can’t allow your discipleship to be about somebody else.

We’ve got to stop making it about everyone else… “Well they are not going to that event that God speaks to me…” Well great! That’s one less distraction…

CHALLENGE- What are you doing to get discipled?? Paul went into a secluded desert for 3 years because he wanted to hear from God.

NOTE- Yes we should fellowship together, and work together, and want to be where our friends are but my discipleship will not be hinged on someone else.

POINT- Your preparation is crucial to your purpose.

The more I studied this the more my heart became broken, we have all done this… I have traded opportunity to hear from God for companionship with a friend…

No one is worth missing a word from God!!

How many words have I missed, how many instructions have I missed???

4. Intentional Reputation

(NLT) — 23 All they knew was that people were saying, “The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!” 24 And they praised God because of me.

CHALLENGE- What are you known for?

KEY- Notice they didn’t ignore his past.

Some of you have given up on having a Godly reputation because you have made mistakes, and so you say maybe next school year I’ll get it right. They didn’t ignore what he did, but they noticed the contrast of what he was doing.

CHALLENGE- If you have blown it in the past all the more reason to change NOW.

Yeah they’ll make comments, sure they’ll be suspicious… Because people don’t just change like that - there has to be something going on… It might take them a little bit of time but they’ll soon learn that the something that happened was Jesus.

Conclusion…

(NLT) — 10 Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.

Stop trying to serve people and win their approval, be intentional about serving Christ…

POINT- The moment we make it our priority to serve Christ we become effective.

Now I can expect my school to change…

Now I can expect change in my situation…

Now I can expect that mom, that dad, that my friend is going to know Jesus…

I am effective. When I am intentional of serving Christ I become effective!

Come on’ say it like you mean it, I’m effective…