It's time to choose the things of God(1)
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Intro and Engage
Intro and Engage
In a Series called Ignite - Fan the flame the gift that God has given you.
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands,
We started - Who before Do, Spiritual Contributors before Consumers, The why before the what.
Dived into why | Purpose | En Theos | Marked for Purpose | But maybe lost Passion | Passion not something you work up | Not about WHat, about WHO | Cleaning lesson
Spoke on Drifting into APATHY. Away from God, because we are trying to get filled from the things of this world - instead of the things of eternity.
walked away saying “I am going to get my passion back” “En Theos, in God yes!”… | Life Happened | Faced Challenges, STill wonder where it is.
Maybe you looked around “Why do some people feel more fulfilled than me” | Same Battles | Same God...What difference between fulfilled and not |
What does fulfilled mean? Meaningful Ministries | Great Relationships | Passionate about their Purpose | Great support network | Great finances.
What’s the difference?
What it’s not… Intelect, talent, appearance | Smart people that are miserable | Talented people that are broke | Attractive people that are lonely.
The difference between those that feel fulfilled in CHrist and those that don’t - Choices. It’s the choices you make, and why you make them.
Title: It’s time to CHOOSE the things of God
My Hope: Every decision you make, you will have confidence that it’s going to move you toward a more Christ Like Character -You will begin to feel fulfilled because your choices are rooted in Christ. Choices Toward faithfulness in Him, toward Security, toward…fulfilment, that will Glority God.
**Prayer**
what do we know. Your life is result of the sum total
our life is the sum total of the choices we make | If we want to live a life that glories God | We need to make choices that glorify Him.
**show slide**
3 Stories - Their Choices - Their Reason and how that effects us.
Old Testament.
Nehemiah | A cup Bearer | Just serving |His heart breaks for the jereluslim | To rebuild the wall | Sanballat and Tobiah | Telling him to Come down | They wanted to kill him | Distract him - Doesn’t this happen? Spiritual Attention when doing a Good work?
And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?”
Don’t let distractions move you away from purpose | Don’t let it lead you into apathy and drift - stay firm - If the enemy can’t destroy you, he will distract you
“You can’t do that” - Hey, I am doing a good work, can’t come down “you really think” - Hey , doing a good work, can’t come down
When I decided to be a pastor | Doesn’t pay well | Think about your kids | A PASTOR?! What? | Hey…I am doing a good work, placed, called, here, available, 10 people, 20, 400, 5,000 - Want to go to a conference and jsut say , yeah, 10,000 people | I would rather 30 people loving each other and on fire for God than 10,000 white washed tombs enjoying a service
First Choice we make;
We choose obedience over Apathy. We don’t drift.
Why? | about trust |Remember David | Slipped away, took his eyes off Calling, onto Comfort | Why? not obedient.
Do you believe Good God with Good Plans?
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Do we believe it? God has good plans | It’s just wise
Flat Pack Story - IF we just followed the instructions - Maybe, you have missed some instructions, maybe you need to be put back together, it requires being taken apart.
We choose Obedience over apathy, To God, not to Man | We live for the PURPOSE of GOD and not the approval of people.
Hey, you’re doing a good work - Here it all the time “obey God’ but have you decided to? like, really? search your heart.
Our first choice - We choose Obedience, over Apathy? Why? Because we deeply want to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives - Wow, how releiving?!
What’s the second choice? Moses | Written in Hebrews;
Hebrews 11:24–26 (ESV)
By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.
by Faith | Choosin to be mistreated | why? He was looking TO the Reward.
Moses Fled Egypt, it’s interesting he was doing what david was doing when chosen | Working | Tending to sheep | Walked past a burning push | He said what?
When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”
A burning Bush? Could have walked away - Moses, like Nehemiah ,chose to Show Up.
HERE I AM - Are you available? Do you choose the things of God, over the things of this word?
the second choice we have to make “We Choose to SHOW UP, not shy away”
Where ever we are | What ever we are doin | Choose to do with Passion knowing Purpose | We choose to be open to what ever God has chosen us to do |
We choose to Show up | Don’t Withdraw - Lean in | Show up - to church, Show up, to community, show up, to your purpose, show up, to connect group, show up, show up, show up.
What did Jesus do? He showed Up | Garden of Gethsemene | Pleading to the Father |
And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
Please, Lord | stayed obedient | He stayed Faithful | What happened? God delivered Him, and God will deliver you.
Here’s the thing, you will attract spiritual attention - it’s a given - kicker - there is purpose in your pain and your purpose will push you through, your pain. you need to choose - to show up.
our second choice, is we choose to show up not shy away.
Third choice | New Testament | Acts | Shortly after Jesus departed | Peter was preaching | Captured | Thrown in Prison | Had to face the jewish authorities | They stood firm, further threats they let them go… And what did they pray for?
In a city, full of enemies, knowing that they would face hard times, tough times, some pain ,what did they pray for?
And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,
Boldness - They where obedient to God’s Calling, they showed up and they prayed to have the strength to continue the work - Jail again | released by angel | arrested again - Bought before council;
saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
They wanted them to stop preaching in THAT NAME - It wasn’t popular - What Name? 2,000 years later and it’s still THAT NAME - Why? Why is everyone so offended with the name of JESUS - We are in natural rebellion against God | Sinful Nature | in the dark | We need to bring God to people |
What did they do? Chose to Please God - You might be in a battle, clinging on to the word of God - Pleases God | Hate your job, showing up with Passion - Pleases God | Workin on your marriage - Pleases God | people are like “Why don’t you party” - No, I have a calling, I have purpose - it pleases God.
We choose Calling over comfort. and we choose - Purpose over Popularity.
Application
Application
So,
What did you notice?
These people chose the things of God over things of this world | protected from the things of this world to bring people FROM this world to Christ and to eternity.
They where being the Light | Just like we, are called to be the light | Distractions | Enemies | World in Chaos, sound familiar? Now more than ever | Need to realise - Church is not somewhere you go to be served - We are the Church, and we exist for the world.
Decisions rooted in God | No choice from temp feelings.
They made a choice out of their principles, and behind every one of God’s Principles is God’s promises.
Here is the kicker;
They had already CHOSEN before the CHOICE had to be made |
Nehemiah Chose to build the wall - He chose obedience over apathy, before he started building. As a result when the distraction came, it wasn’t a distraciton, he knew his response = Obedience, im doing a good work | Not swayed, firm | rooted|
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
Moses chose to follow God - He said “here I am” - He chose to Show Up not shy away | Not Temproarry, not when he felt like it, it was a permanent pre-decision | didn’t matter when it got tough, the red sea, etc, he chose to follow God | He chose to fix his eyes on the reward - to show up
I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
John and Peter Chose to go into the world and preach the Gospel - They chose purpose over Popularity - When confronted with enemies, didn’t pray for them to flea, but for boldness, to complete their purpose to please God.
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to him.
The Lord is the strength of his people;
he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
They had already CHOSEN before the CHOICE had to be made | Couldn’t be swayed by Feelings or emotions | Circumstances | The enemy couldn’t distract them | They couldn’t stop, because in their heart they had already made the choice
They chose obedience over apathy -
They chose to show up and not shy away -
They chose purpose over popularity
Inspo Action + Conclusion
Inspo Action + Conclusion
What does it look like? Choices rooted in principles - If you were so rooted in the things of God | Fulfulled |
Look at everyone who has been swayed or denied Christ - There principles rooted in this world | Rich young Ruler - Money | Pharisees - Religion-their IDEA of God| King Saul - His Ego + Pride | All fallen away |
We drift | Our life is the sum total of our choices - Last week - EN THEOS - Be Passionate where ever you are, to do that, you need to decide -
Will you obey? Or just when it suits?
Will you show up? or jsut when it suits,
Will you choose purpose, regardless of what the world thinks? or just when it suits?
This year, let’s get our EN THEOS BACK!!! Make choice now | To obey, to show up, to please God above man.
Who will you be? It’s your turn to make a choice?
I want to speak to those that know Christ - If you want to Obey this year, if you want to show up, if you want to please God, then after this song, come forward, come forward for prayer, get some prayer, I will pray for the whole congregation - but if you need more prayer you come up - you recieve it, you watch how this will change your life.
For those of you who don’t know - There’s is only one choice - Jesus made a choice - to come down for you. **Altar Call**