Choosing Christ
We're going to start out this morning with the Sunday school songs, not in your bulletin is not going to be up there, but you guys know it. I have the joy joy, joy down in my heart.
My heart, my heart, my heart. I have it in my heart. Houses Pizza Francis understanding down in my heart.
Cars. I have the peace that passeth understanding down in my heart and I'm so happy. So very happy. He's got the love of Jesus in my heart and I'm so happy. I've got the love of Jesus. In my heart, I have the love of Jesus, mother of Jesus, down in my heart, Jesus, Jesus, in my heart.
I have the certificate enthusiasm down in my heart where
where, I have the Church of God and Susie Anthem down in my heart. My heart is so happy so very happy. I've got the love of Jesus in my heart. Can I spell happy? So very happy. I got the love of Jesus in my heart.
I wish you guys could hear the Sunday School counseling that song. Oh my goodness. I was going to put them on the spot and just have them seen from where they're at. But you know what? You'll have to come back next Sunday because next Sunday, they're going to do a special music song for you guys. In special music is called today is my favorite day right? Next Sunday, guys. So next time you come Mother's Day and they can have a special song to share with you. All right, let's sing this next song. Springs of Living Water.
Cross of Christ, 20 West Springfield, living happiness.
Penguins live in water. It makes me glad and happy feels over. I'm shouting house everyday and I'm drinking. My soul is satisfied. Drinking at the Springs of Living Water. Okay, not to put you on the spot, but raise your hand. If you've never heard of this song before, Okay, it's so old, it's new. Look at that. That's how old it is. Ray, do you know this phone? Not to put you on the spot and all day because I mean, we did it in youth group, but I know you're older than I am, so I can remember this in the end youth group. So I know it's been a few years ago, but it's a good one, right? Let's sing that last for dinner. Won't you come today to Calvary? Would you come today to come over for 13? Spirits can be satisfied. Drinking lots of things with living water.
You know, I I had heard that song in the past but it was so far in the past it was tough for me to remember the the words. But yeah, it's a good one.
The Bible readings from Ephesians chapter 4 verses 19 to 24.
Having lost all sensitivity. They have given themselves over to sensuality. So that. So as to indulge and every kind of impurity and they are full of greed, that however, is not the way of life you learned. When you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth, that is in Jesus. you were taught with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted in this by this, its deceitful desires to be made new in the attitude of your minds and to put on the new self created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness And that's kind of a direction. We're going this morning taking a look at the past and hoping that we've changed and become like Christ, Okay. Prayer request. A couple of these. Our Praises more than request, But continuing, praise and continuing prayer. Lindy is feeling much better than she has been but continue to pray for recovery and strength to be restored and Jackson is doing very well and it is basic training and he's only got three weeks to go. So we pray that those weeks would go swiftly and successfully. Anyway, let's go to prayer and ask the Lord to bless Our gracious Father in Heaven. How we thank you that we can come before you the mighty one and lay our burdens at your feet. Recognizing that you know them and you are dealing with them as as we pray and that we can trust in you to bring the best outcome for each request. Lord, help us to realize that what you choose to do is truly the best for our lives and the lives of Those whom we know. Father, we do pray that you would help us to be faithful witnesses to the truth of who you are that through our lives. We might Express the goodness in the light that Jesus brought into the world. So that others who do not know, you might see the goodness in us and be drawn to want to know who you are and what you have done to redeem life. Lord. We do pray for your Mighty hand on those needs and we thank you and praise you. That we can you give a Thanksgiving offering of praise to you for your work in the life of Lindy and Jackson and we pray that you would continue to be there that you would continue to heal and strengthen and restore or two.
Hey, an ability in Linde to do all those things that she enjoys doing Without Pain without hurt. And we pray for Jackson as he continues to go through his basic training that he would find success for that. And then, as we look forward to the specialized training that he will have in the future. We pray that you would just be there to encourage him along the way. I thank you that he has desired to walk with you through all of this and pray that through all of these things, he would grow in his understanding of your Mighty hand in his life. Father, we pray for those requests that people have that are unspoken request, and yet, they are still needs for life. We pray that you would be there to give help and strength to them, guidance, and wisdom and understanding Lord, as we continue on in this service, may we find your rich and Powerful blessing in our lives as we lift our voices, and praise your name. And then lift our ears up to hear what you have for us. That we would go from this place with greater understanding of you and wisdom for how to live our lives. Repressed for this, in the precious name of our Lord, Our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
No. Ibiza.
Pictures of G-Eazy.
Grace.
To trust him. I know that He Is, We
BMO.
Petra.
Forsaken, I'm accepted you were in the vehicle. You were again.
Amazing amazing.
2. Forgiven because you were forsaken.
Amazing. Love.
My apologies.
American son has set free.
Do you know?
Our communion this morning is going to be taken from 2nd Corinthians, chapter 11 verses 27 through 29, which is a little bit different than what you normally get from 1st Corinthians. But it's, it really speaks to us about the need to remember that. This is a time of reverence before the Living God in this, we come before him. We need to make sure that we ourselves are ready to really come into the presence of the Lord, which means he seeks for us to be holy, let me read it. Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord, in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and the blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup for anyone who eats and drinks, without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. Those are pretty harsh words spoken. The Corinthians had some real problems. They were coming in a little bit early to tip participate in the wine. A little bit too much and they were actually getting drunk before they began the service, which was truly simple. But there is a, a little deeper aspect of it. That sometimes we don't take into consideration and you remember that most of the time when we come to communion, we have a short time when you have an opportunity to go before the and make sure you're clean and holy before him, so that you receive the communion in a holy manner. That you are pure and ready to receive it. You know, this statement that judgment will be upon us as it is a big thing to think about when we we come to the communion service. So I remember when we go before the Lord and talk to him in just a moment, remember that you need to come before him and ask for his forgiveness for sins. And remember this, if you send against somebody else, you need to take care of that before you take the cup. It would be better not to take the cup and and bring judgment to take the cup and bring judgment on yourself. It would be better to not do that. Then to go to that person and confess your sin and bring about some Unity with them and take care of that, sinful State first. Anyway, just a reminder for each of us that this is a holy time before the Living God and we need to be holy as we come before him. So we're going to take just a minute. I go to the Lord and make sure that you were clean and holy before you take the cup.
Well we've been going through a series exalting Christ and we started with the light up for Christ, then love for Christ and revealing Christ. And I have to say this final one is one that is his challenging to each and every one of us and that idea is choosing Christ. You know, and this is a tough one. Sometimes I think so often we in the the past have been given the message of a cheap salvation that somehow, you know, just just pray that the words and, and you're good to go for eternity. and I think we get lost in that whole idea and we have a whole group of people in our country today that would claim salvation and yet have no desire whatsoever to live a life that God has called them to You know, and that's a huge struggle. When we asked, Jesus Christ to be our savior and our Lord. We have to remember what we're asking to be. Lord Of Our Lives means that as our Lord, we are obedient To who he is and what he has to say for us to us and those are powerful thoughts. And so as we look at our message today, we need to remember, this is a powerful strong calling to us to not only accept Jesus Christ, but to choose him to follow him as we ought to follow him. We're taking it from first John chapter 2 verses 15 to 17 will Regis verse 15 to start it off. Wisdom, the whole idea of wisdom do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the father is not in them. That's a pretty powerful statement. If we love the world in the things are in the world that are being expressed their, rather than looking to God and loving him.
It sounds like we're in real trouble. if we don't follow those commands, God's desire is that we not only receive him as Lord and Savior, but if we do the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ actually come into us and they are ministering to us and if we're truly listening to their Ministry, Then we're changing our lives continually to conform with the image of Jesus Christ. Our Lord and Savior, the one who we just took communion for Think about that. Romans 12:2 says, do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve. What God's will is good pleasing and perfect. Will you see our desire is Believers in Christ? Should be focused on what God desires to do to change our lives and make us glow in this world. We live in a really dark world at the present time. It is expressing things that are totally ungodly. That he doesn't desire. And if we truly are Becoming more like Christ. We're becoming a glowing ember in our world and people will look at us and truly see, there's a difference that can bring about two things, either one, they will want to make a difference in their lot. If what they see in us will make them want to make a difference in their lives or They watch with will want to destroy what they see because it reveals the darkness in their lives.
One of those two things, you know, Satan is the ruler of this world. I hope you understand that and know that the Satan God has yielded this world to Satan. And his work here. Because it's full of sin. But he also promises to be with us to help us be that light in this world. James 4:4 says, the adulterous people you adulterous people don't, you know, that friendship with the world means immunity against God. There for anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God and enemy of God. In other words, if we're grasping a hold of the world and we want those things that this world offers rather than what God is offering us. We're going down the wrong path. And we're creating are creating dissension between ourselves and God and he says we're be enemies of God. That's a powerful statement for us to think about, Powerful statement. Well, that's exactly what Satan wants to do with your lives. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, he's not going to leave you alone, unless you're walking down his path. If you're walking his weights, probably going to leave you alone and say. Yeah, that's good. Let him go down that path. But if you're trying to do the right things, you will be actively trying. To deceive your life, change your direction, and get you going his way. His desire. That's what he wants. But you know, we have the greatest Force there can ever be in our lives. We have the force of the Living. God powerfully dwelling in us that can give us the help. We need the stand against those darts that he throws at us. And they will just simply bounced off if we're standing in Christ.
We need to know God and seek him. This is Satan's domain 1st. John 5:14 says, this is the confidence that we have in approaching God, that we ask anything. According to his, will he hears us? Our desire has to be to know the will of God in to follow it then. That Prince of this Earth will have no effect on us. He will not change us. We will stay strong and powerful. In our Lots. What is a battle and I hope you understand. You're in a war, you're in a war with the evil one and he wants to get a hold of your life and it turn you around. And so you need to be actively involved in that Warfare that you're involved in. So see, God, seek God. First of all John 12, 42 43, says, for they love human phrase more than the praise God. Where are you seeking your praise? Are you seeking it in this world? Are you trying to seek God for the praise that you get? Where do you find the encouragement for your life? And I hope that you find it and being in all being active and doing the will of her life in seeking him day by day, Moment by moment. As we are continued continually called to be in continual prayer, that means that you're continually connected with the Living. God, Ask yourself. Am I there is that where I am? Is that my heart and desire? Let's hope it is. Let's continue on worldly practices. Verse 16 says, for everything in the world, the lust of the flesh. the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, come not from the father, but from the world, the lust of the flesh, wanting those things that are in the world. the last of the eyes, wanting those things that we look at it, we see and desire and the pride of the pride of life is those things that are about me. If we're seeking those things were going down the wrong way, we're going down the wrong path, and we need to be seeking after God.
You know, that's Satan's path in Romans chapter 1 verses 18 through 32 Paul writes to the Romans a spiraling downward aspect of the world is it trust more and more in what they can do in this world rather than what they can do in honoring God and it's deception that comes about in this whole attitude and then he finally gets down to the end. Danny writes these words verse 32, he says, although they know God's righteous decrees And the people of the world do know that.
Decrees that those who do such things deserve death. They not only continue to do these very things, but they also approve of those who practice them. And that's the deception of the world. They want you to step into sin and be involved in that, because if you do that, then it makes them seem okay if they're okay. But when you're the light, That turns away from that whole attitude and you say it's wrong that we ought not to be doing those things. Then you become a beacon. And like I say, they'll either be drawn to that Beacon and say it while you're right or we'll say, we need to crush that bacon and that's what's happening in our world today. That's what's happening in our country, they want. This. Stop the truth from happening. To make their lives, look appropriate and right, but before God it's nothing but sin, it's nothing but seeing it. We need to turn away from that aspect.
Watch what we watch in this world. Those things that we take a look at and we bring into our lives. You know, they will make the difference in what direction we go in this life. You know. It will determine what we see and what we do. Proverbs 27, 27.
Jump Ahead, here I see myself and destruction are never satisfied and neither are human eyes. What drives our desires? Is those things that we take into our life and we build up in our lot that will drive us to where we're going.
There is a human desire in our lots, and I'll jump back to where I should have been a human. Desire is what we saw a right from the beginning and it is surprised that we have in our lives. That somehow, I know what's, right? And God, doesn't totally know what is right in my life and I can turn away from him. And go my own way and I'll be justified and right in this world. I don't need to do it. Exactly the way God says, well eat thought that. And so did Adam It says in Genesis 3:6 when when was the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye and also desirable for gaining wisdom. And she took some innate it and she gave some to her husband who was with her and he ate it.
And that's when everything changed.
And that's what will change in our own lives. If we think that, we know the right way and it doesn't happen to coincide with what God States is the right way for our lives to be live.
We need to be wise in the choices we make. Really wise. We have to be stronger in our attitudes. Romans 3:13 12 says rather clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. We need to be close with Jesus Christ.
Why is giving us that communion to remind us as often as we take it in this case every month we take it and it should be a reminder to us what direction we ought to be looking. Looking unto Jesus, the author of your faith. But he's also the Perfecter, the one who brings about rightness to our lives. The best choice, the best choice, we found in 1st. John 2:17, the world and its desires pass away. But whoever does the will of God lives forever. Do you know when it's the battle for our Eternal lives that were involved in but it's not just our Lots. It's the lives of all those who will follow us and we can't be shy about standing up for Christ because they're our dear ones that we have it, our our, our kids, and our grandkids, and our friends. Family. The wheel of. There aren't following Jesus Christ, and we went to hold back and not say anything because I might offend them. Do we offend them into hell? Are there? We give them the truth. The truth of Who We Are. We need to be more faithful to stand more clearly, and I'm not just reaching to you. I'm preaching to myself here as well. We need to stand powerfully in this very difficult age. For the Lord, our God.
What are you living for?
Hebrews 12:27, the word once more indicate. The removing of what can be shaken, that is created things so that what cannot be shaken May remain. NSU. Think about glory. And what you're going to take along with you to Glory, You can't think about Earthly things cuz you're not going to take them with you. The only thing that you will take with you into glory is what you have done with your life in the time, you lived on this Earth and what you've done for others, for the sake of the Gospel, those two things, that's what you get to take. That's what is powerful and meaningful in this life. There's nothing that you can claim. That will you be able to take with you nothing? Nothing. Do God's will Matthew 12:50 says, for whoever does the will of the Father in Heaven is my brother sister and mother.
And so the whole thing comes down to choosing what we actually choose to do in this life, makes an eternal difference. Not only for our own lives but for the lives of those around us because we truly need to be beacons that shine the light of Jesus Christ to a world that is desperate for that. It repels against it in so many ways, but that's just Satan's actions. It doesn't change. The fact. There are many in this world that need Jesus Christ, as Lord and savior.
And we are the light that shines the way we need, not hide that light but we need to let it shine. And that means that that has to be the desire of our hearts that needs to be what we see in this life.
Osprey.
Our gracious Father in heaven, we thank you that we do. The power of the Living God within us. That even though, Satan has his armies ready to come after us. Then we don't have to worry. Because we have you. Satan cannot stand against you, he will be defeated. He will be driven back if we truly stand for you in this life. And so father, help us to be bold. Help us to be faithful and true to your word. to display the glory that you have given us through Jesus Christ to a world that is in desperate need Oh Father, Make Us Alive in you. We ask this in the name of Jesus. The one who made a difference in our lives. Amen. Let standing close to the doxology.
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