What do you desire?

Morning hope you are all well, i have some questions as we start today.

How you doing? Hows life been through lockdown? How’s life as lockdown eases? Where are you with it all?

Brexit hasn’t gone away either, life is still here, there’s still life to be lived, people to be loved.

What have you done with the cross, the sacrifice that was made on it during lockdown?

Has it been put in a cupboard, i’ll just get through it & maybe i’ll take it out again when it’s all over. Where are you in your walk with God? What are the desires of your heart?

It’s been difficult hasn’t it, people have died, jobs have been lost, it’s been hard since lockdown started. It’s ok your allowed to say it, it doesn’t make you a failure as a Christian, it doesn’t make you unHoly, sometimes life is a struggle, we can see it right through the Bible, people have struggled with people, with governments, Laws, persecution, health, wealthy & themselves, thier thoughts, motives, thier desires.

What you desire will drive how you live your life.

That’s what we are going to talk about today. What do you desire?

We all have desires, when i was young i had lot’s of desires i still do now, the difference is that the desires of my heart are the desires that God has put there because i desire to serve Him above everything else.

When i was younger i had a desire to be a n England rugby player, i love rugby, i played every weekend, i played rugby union & i played rugby league, i had a chance in league to go professional but injury finally stopped that & my greater desire, beer, my dedication to drink far outweighed my dedication to fitness, fitness would have required hard work, beer required just the lifting of my arm. comfort came above recognition.

It would mean sacrificing what i had become accustomed too.

To fulfill the desires of your heart there will have to be a sacrifice, something that will have to be let go.

Don’t sacrifice your future at the altar of instant gratification. Don’t give up what you want most now just because it seems hared.

Discipline is choosing what you want most over what you want now.

How do i explain that, Tammy wants a fit body & a six pack but right now she wants cake & chocolate.

So i suppose the question to us today is does my present desire override my long-term desires. You see it is a tension that we need to manage, it’s a tens completely focused on what you are doing, on where you are, what you do wit an eye seeing what the future holds. (driving instructor 3rd test, 8 seconds in front).

Bible. Joseph

We all know the story of Joseph, He had been given the robe of many colours, he was his dad’s favourite & he had dreams that his family would bow to him. His brothers didn’t like him & they plotted to kill him, but instead sell him into slavery, he’s then sold to Potipher, the captain of the guard.

Potithers wife accuses him of trying to sleep wit her, he could have slept with her & been comfortable, sacrificing the coming blessing for him & Isreal for the pleasure of the immediate, but he didn’t, he had an eye on the future while living in the present.

While Josephs in prison he interprets 2 prisoners dreams, 2 years after the cupbearers release he remembers that Joseph interprets dreams when Pharoah has a dream & needs it interpreted.

Joseph while in prison could have just had his focus set on the predicament he found himself in, do you let your current situation determine how you do life, make you forget the dream or vision you have for your life, Joseph had a dream & it still remained, what he didn’t do is have a pity party because life hadn’t worked out for him as he had expected, he was expecting to be remembered by the cupbearer instead he spent another 2 years in prison but the expectation was still there so when the call came, he was ready, are you ready if the call comes for you to live out your destiny.

He was living in the moment but with an eye on the future.

He didn’t sacrifice his future for instant gratification.

After Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dream he is given the role of Pharaoh's number 2 & guides egypt through the 7 year drought including his family as they come to dwell in Egypt & grow into the nation of Isreal.

What is your desire?

joseph’s was to serve the Lord & so there were certain sacrifices that had to be made for the future to happen, there’s always a sacrifice to be made for the future plans to happen.

This past 21 months we have been in this building, financially for church things have been a little tight at times, at times juggling finances has been a little scary, some sacrifices had t be made, salaries had to be cut by a third to make sure bills were paid.

We needed a proper home for the church, to be able to do what God has called us to, to do what God calls you to costs something. Covid19 hasn’t helped financially, church offerings are down by 30%.

As a church we need to get back on track in our giving, not being able to be at church isn’t a holiday from God, it’s not time to not read your Bible, pray, give, in fact it’s time to press in to God more, physical lock down doesn’t mean Spiritual lock down.

The desires of our hearts are put there by God because they are the desires of his heart, he may want you to have a ferari but that desire for you will not be above every other desire he has for you. Isaiah 58.

These are the main scripture that we take our vision for church from, every decision that we make as a leadership comes from the vision that God has put within us. Our desire is to bless this town, to affect everyone, to reach everyone with the good news of Jesus no matter background, language, colour, nationality, culture, belief because that is the desire of God & so it is ours also.

It’s why we are trying to buy Dunelm on west street, that will be known as the Sanctuary. 16 Bedsits upstairs, hostel downstairs, cafe, social supermarket, community garden, kick boxing gym, meeting space for other agencies in town to use who are helping people, working with the council & other agencies to help the people of this Town.

tomorrow we meet with the architect to see how the drawings are coming along, a living breathing testament to what God can do.

What desires has God put in you?

How can we help facilitate them in you?

Don’t sacrifice your future at the altar of instant gratification because your current situation is where you find yourself inhabiting, keep an eye on what is ahead.

To fulfill the desires of your heart there will have to be a sacrifice, something that will have to be let go.

God’s desire is that none should perish, His desire is that all of us would have an opportunity of eternity with Him & so there had to be a sacrifice for that desire to be fulfilled, Jesus is that sacrifice.

He is the only way to Heaven & that takes a sacrifice on our part, sacrificing ourselves, our old nature to take on a new nature, of the Spirit.

Communion