Soul Food (09.29.2019)

TORONTO CITY CHURCH ___a church without limits____ SOUL FOOD (09.29.2019) Special Focus: Get connected in what God is doing at TCC: 1. Connexions 2. Serve 3. Growth Track PROSPERING IN YOUR WILL 3 John 2 (NKJV)- Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. • God’s desire is for us to prosper and be in health in this season… this is directly connected to our ‘soul prosperity’ • 1 Thess 5:23 (ESV)-…and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. • We are a spirit, we have a soul, we live in a body • Our soul= our mind, will, and emotions • God wants to prosper our souls in this season For the last couple of weeks, we have talked about ‘prospering in our minds’- this week I want to shift gears to talk about prospering in the area of our will. What is our “will’? 1. To power of making a reasoned choice or decision or controlling one’s own actions 2. A strong and fixed purpose, and determination 3. A particular desire, purpose, a pleasure or choice Understanding the Call to the Lordship of Jesus Romans 10:9-10 (ESV)- 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. • This verse doesn’t say ‘if you confess Him as saviour’ but if you ‘confess Him as Lord’ • Lord= Kurios: Supreme ruler or master • This is not to take away from the importance of saviour- but saviour is about Jesus giving His life for us…Lordship is about us giving our lives to Him • There are many Christians who have received Jesus as saviour, but they have not received Him as Lord Luke 22:42 (ESV) – saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” Luke 6:46 (ESV) – 46 “ Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Matt 21:28-31 (ESV)- 28 “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. 30 And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir’ but did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Why Does Lordship Matter? 1.) Because He is great, and He is good. • Psalm 145:3 (ESV)- Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praises, and his greatness is unsearchable. • Psalm 136:1 (ESV)- Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. • When we understand the greatness and goodness of God, yielding to His Lordship just makes sense! 2.) Because He knows everything, and we don’t • Psalm 147:5 (ESV)- Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite. • Why would we not want to listen to/follow someone who knows everything? 3.) Because when we are submitted to God, we resist the devil and he flees. • James 4:7 (ESV)- 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. • There is great protection when we come into “sub-mission” 4.) Because rebellion gets you stuck in the wilderness • Psalm 68:6 (ESV)- God settles the solitary in a home; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land. • Vs. 5-6 (TPT)- To the fatherless, he is a father. To the widow, he is a champion friend. To the lonely, he makes them part of a family. To the prisoners, he leads into prosperity until they sing for joy. This is our Holy God in his Holy Place! But for the rebels there is heartache and despair. • Getting stuck in the wilderness sucks Luke 22:42 (ESV) – saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” • Are my desires submitted to the will of the Father? • Is my purpose submitted to the will of the Father? • Are my pleasures submitted to the will of the Father? • Are my choices submitted to the will of the Father? Join us in Connexions this week to discuss: How do I know what the will of God is? Want to get more plugged into Toronto City Church? Get involved in our TCC Next Steps immediately following service! OUR MISSION: to be a SPIRITUAL FAMILY where every person encounters God’s Unconditional love, is empowered in their identity and equipped and engaged for their purpose