Move Up Rally
Notes
Transcript
Encouragement of Graduates
Encouragement of Graduates
WELCOME
I want to recognize this long weekend as we head into Memorial day weekend as we observe those men and women who have died serving in the US Military. They have laid down their lives and they are the heroes who gave everything for the soldiers serving next to them and the families they left behind to do so. I pray and thank them with gratitude for their service.
PRAYER
Yesterday we attended Eli’s graduation and what a blessing it is to see where this kid went from in the beginning to today fulfilling all of the requirements to finish High School and enter a new journey into life. What a beautiful celebration with family and friends from near and far. We have some more graduations coming up next week and the outpouring of love that is shown is such a beautiful thing in seeing the families rally together. I can remember back to when I graduated high school and the joy I had in graduating but also thinking to myself what is next? What is next in my life? For many of you it will be either attending college, joining the military, starting to look for a job/career. Whatever it is there is a new door of opportunity that is opening.
Graduation brings many changes into someone's life. but the Bible/the Word of God provides guidance and direction. Amen..The word of God offers graduates an encouragement for the road ahead and is the solid foundation we can hang our hat on. Especially in these uncertain times, graduation brings a sense of celebration mixed with fear of change. One thing about fear/change we need to understand that we must not love the World. My wife and I always instill into the Youth but even into our church family it is the Love of God that will help them to not impact your life. As they step into that new valley of life I want to lay a few Words of encouragement to Not Love the World but to Love God. Love God because when we understand that when we are relationship to him (Prayer) in accordance with reading his Word (Living Manual) for our lives it will be the sustaining factor in seeing our lives go to another level. This message may not be just for graduates but also for all us of to keep in remembrance as we move forward in life. I want to leave you a few things to always remember.
Do Not Love the World but Love God
15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.
John emphasizes world by using the word three times in this verse and another three times in the two succeeding verses. It is an important concept (in this letter he uses the term twenty-three times). The passage speaks of God’s love for all people, whereas this one is concerned with setting one’s heart on worldliness. John makes two points: first, love for the world in this sense is incompatible with love for the Father (cf. Jas. 4:4 “Adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
“Do not love the World” We can take a look at the The Historical background here as God summoned Israel to love him to be consecrated as Holy “Set Apart” rather than following the pagan values around the nation (Deuteronomy 18:9 When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable) That word detestable means that everything God is not (Hate, Envy, dishonesty)
15: Verse is talking Now the people of the World or the created order but the world attitudes or values opposed to God (Anything in the World).
The World we live in today my wife and I always share with the Youth is a cold, world that cares nothing about you. As they enter into adulthood they will find that out either the hard way because the testing of their Faith will come but I want you to always remember that with God You can face the battles of this World. There are 2 points here to always keep in mind and 2 choices for you to choose from Love the World vs. Love the Father. Loving the World can lead to deception. We see in 1 John 2:14
I have written to you, children, because you have known the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you have known the One who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God resides in you, and you have conquered the evil one.
Church say “Do not love the World, but Love God”..Amen
2nd Point Walk in the Spirit
Lets go to Verse 16:
16: Lust of the eyes: Sinful cravings that are activated by what people see.
Our eyes are always deceiving us. You know my wife and I always talk about it is that when you “Walk in the Spirit.” That’s the Holy Spirit as he infills you with the Word of God daily and being in relationship to him you will have a different set of eyes open. You will see things through a different lens. You will see things in the Spiritual realm that your physical eyes cannot see. It is only in accordance with Jesus we are able to do so. It’s the daily infilling of the Holy Spirit whom Jesus has left behind for us to see.
Pride of Life: Puffed up in the pride because of material possessions. “Life” translated in the Greek can mean life, livelihood, living property, and possessions.
(1) The desire of the flesh (niv, “the cravings of sinful man”). The Greek word sarx John has in mind any desire, any sinful interest, that draws us away from God or at least makes continuing fellowship with him impossible.
(2) The desire of the eyes (niv, “the lust of his eyes”). The same noun as is used in the first phrase, epithymia (“desire”), is repeated here. This develops further the arena of “sinful desires” against which John is warning us. This word may, of course, refer to a sinful interest in what can be seen. On the other hand, the eye is often a metaphor for sinful passion that corrupts (cf. Matt. 5:28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
(3) Boasting in one’s lifestyle (niv, “boasting of what he has and does”). The third description now moves from two forms of inappropriate interest and passion to an unholy pride in what one has. The “boaster” (Gk. alazon) is someone who pretentiously “promises more than he can perform” and, in antiquity, “often describes orators, philosophers, doctors, cooks and officials.” It is used in Romans 1:30 and 2 Timothy 3:2 “for people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy.”
The object of this boasting is life. The Greek term here is unusual. Bios (as distinguished from zoe) describes the basic stuff of living — the materials of living — and appears in 1 John 3:17 in an unusual phrase that makes the meaning explicit: “the life of the world,” which the niv rightly translates “material possessions.” Thus, John has in mind an attitude of pretentious arrogance or subtle elitism that comes from one’s view of wealth, rank, or stature in society. It is an overconfidence that makes us lose any notion that we are dependent on God.
These three characteristics are frequently compared with the temptations of Eve in the Garden of Eden or of Jesus in the desert (wrong interest, wrong passion, and pride), but the parallels seem weak. John is rather sketching a sweeping portrait of what it means to be seduced by worldliness and the allure of sin.
3. Be the Light
L-ove the Lord“Love the Lord … with all thy heart … soul … mind” (Matt. 22:37 And he said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
A. When you love God you give Him first place in your life. Pray daily. Read the Bible. Attend Church (the means of grace) faithfully.
B. Prove your love for God by loving others and sharing Jesus Christ with the unsaved (1 John 3:14 “We know that we have passed over from death to life because we love the brothers. The one who does not love remains in death.”
I-mitate the Lord“Ye should follow his steps” (1 Peter 2:21 “ For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his footsteps.”
A. Many people imitate Satan; they walk in darkness, think evil thoughts, speak evil words, and commit evil deeds.
B. Christians should seek to imitate the Lord in word, thought, deed, and action (John 13:15 “For I have given you an example, that just as I have done for you, you also do.”
G-lorify the Lord“Do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31).A. Be Christlike in your home, work, and church. Your social life should not contradict Christian principles (1 Cor. 6:20).B. Witness to the lost and seek to lead them to saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.IV.
H-onor the Lord“Honour the Lord with thy substance” (Prov. 3:9 “Honor Yahweh from your substance, and from the firstfruits of all that will come to you”
A. The tithe, ten percent of one’s earnings, should be brought to the house of God so that it can meet its financial obligations (Lev. 27:30).
B. The institution of tithing was set up by God during Old Testament times. Jesus placed His sanction on it (Matt. 23:23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you pay a tenth of mint and dill and cumin, and neglect the more important matters of the law—justice and mercy and faithfulness! It was necessary to do these things ⌊while not neglecting those”
T-rust the Lord“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart?” (Prov. 3:5 “ Trust Yahweh⌋ with all your heart; do not lean toward your own understanding.”
A. By leaning on, relying on, and placing implicit faith in the Lord, we allow Him to glorify Himself through us.
B. God responds to our trust. He helps us in time of need. He works all things together for our good and His glory (Rom. 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose”
I leave you with that church.
Do Not Love the World but Love God
Walk in the Spirit
Be the Light
When we trust God’s plan for our lives we can see the manifestation of what he is doing in and throughout our lives. Every eyes closed.
SALVATION PRAYER
GRADUATE BLESSING