Living the Life (2)

Introduction (1m)

Rules for Life

Top 10/50: 1. Manners cost nothing / 2. Treat others how you wish you be treated / 3. Family comes first / 4. Two wrongs don't make a right / 5. Treasure friendship / 6. Save some for a rainy day / 7. Don't judge a book by its cover / 8. Actions speak louder than words / 9. As one door closes, another door opens / 10. Laugh as often and as much as possible.

What we believe affects the way we live - e.g.s from above. / How does what you believe affect the way you live? / Spending next few months looking again at what we believe / doctrines. / But as P reminded T in our Bible passage, they mean nothing if they don’t help us grow / live the way God wants us too:

Explanation (2m)

Live and Fight the Life

1 Timothy 6:12 CEV

Fight a good fight for the faith and claim eternal life. God offered it to you when you clearly told about your faith, while so many people listened.

Fight = active. / Christianity is not passive. / No spectator Salvationist. / Salvationists must be on manoeuvres, training for battle, working hard, sacrificing, doing what we know is right, fighting good fight for the faith. / Salvationist > what we believe > life that is a daily struggle against the world and the flesh.

Gk word for fight was used to refer to athletic contests. / Never run competitively! But if you have, know intensity. / Run until you think you can’t, keep running, lungs burn, feet like lead, until you approach finish line. / That’s the intensity of the Salvationist life:

While women weep, as they do now, I'll fight While little children go hungry, as they do now, I'll fight While men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I'll fight While there is a drunkard left, While there is a poor lost girl upon the streets, While there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I'll fight-I'll fight to the very end!

General William Booth

Our beliefs challenge us to continually pursue qualities such as righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. / An athletic life of faith. / A life of wholeness. / A life of total, sold-out commitment to the ways of God. / Our beliefs demand our body, mind, spirit and heart. / They require vision, belief in action, integrity, persistence, compassion, acceptance and surrender. / Does that describe your life?

Application (2m)

Change the World!

A good soldier makes war his business. He may do something in other lines of duty: he may be a [an accountant, a painter and decorator, a security guard, a student], or what not, but after all fighting is his trade. He has chosen it, and made secondary to it all the other businesses, connections, relationships, and pleasures of his life. (General William Booth)

Have you made war your business? / Enlisted into life of spiritual discipline and warfare. / Each one has something to contribute.

You and I are called to win the world for Jesus/tell everyone God’s story/welcome everyone into God’s family. / We all have a part to play.

Will you make your rule of life to keep fighting the good fight of faith to win the world for Jesus?

Next Steps

Soldiers - Martin Smith

We are Your salvation army Laying down our weapons Marching into battle Scarred and broken We are Your kingdom, not an empire Burning with Your fire We were born to love and to war

(Chorus) Onward Christian soldiers We’re laying down our lives We’re lifting Jesus high Together we are stronger We’re giving up our lives So let the Church arise

(Verse) On our shoulders we will carry The wounded from the wreckage Crowns and thrones will perish But You remain We live for Justice not for honour Your Church will stand forever We were born to love and
 to war

(Chorus) Onward Christian soldiers We’re laying down our lives We’re lifting Jesus high Together we are stronger We’re giving up our lives So let the Church arise