Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro and Engage

Do you ever feel dissapointed?

Or wish you could do something?

Wish you had something?

Wish you could be one of those SUEPR Christians?

You might realise that “Life is just passing me by” and you might be thinking “Is there something else? “Is there more?”

Spoiler alert: Yes

Come Together theme | What we are going to do this year | Last week | One enemy, One Mission to build, One Community |

Fellowship = Koinonia = Devoted to Christ and devoted to each other.

Devoted = Focus

With God’s help be Devoted in everything we do.

We will be as a community devoted to Christ.

The apostles where DEVOTED,

Title: What to do when you feel far from God

My Hope: You will know what matters most in your life | How to walk with God | How to feel secure in God | How to be devoted to that which matters most.

*pray*

but what does that mean?

How then, do we become devoted?

*Cat, so devoted to this cat, thought it was going to run away*

Do crazy things for something your devoted to.

When devoted God brings fulfilment | Through storms…etc.

We will seek first the one who matters most | Devoted to Jesus Christ | We can say I am devoted to Jesus.

What did they do?

Devoted to what? | Result = Filled with awe | Devoted to things that bought them close to God + Devoted to community | What would have it been like?

Imagine for one second?

Devoted - greek word = afieróno = Imperfect tense | Ongoing | not a 1 time thing | Continuing devotion, | Firm grip | We seek first the one who matters most, and continue to do so

Pause = How would this look today?

Are we devoted?

What would be written?

“I try and be a good person” “I try and have a strong walk with God” “They devoted themselves, to themselves…passionate about pursing a life of comfort and ease” | Early believers had similar struggles |

***Picture of Line*** | Represents 1 week - We have 168 hours in a week| If you’re devoted to something, you’ll devote time to that thing | Where do we spend our time?

1/3 Sleeping | 1/3 Working | Leaves 56 hours remaining | How many on Social?

17 hours | 38 hours for stuff | Take kids everywhere | gym | getting fuel, food, cleaning | might leave 1 hour

1 hour left | I know, oh yeah ,we are christians, to God | Some of us might spend more than 1 hour | If you invest 1 hour in anything you probably not going to grow | 1 hour studying | 1 hour at gym | 1 hour with spouse |

If Partially devoted | only when easy | no wonder we fall into same sin | No wonder we don’t share faith | not more concerned with things of God then world | There is a problem here;

Why do only 1 hour | Real Enemy | If spending time is going to grow you | You have an enemy that is going to stop you from spending time with him | BUSY = Busy Under Satans Yolk | That’s why we need to be devoted not only to Christ but to each other | United over one enemy.

Here is point | Want ot live fully devoted life | Not going to happen by Accident | imagine = Just going through the motions and PEW Now spiritual etc | If you WANT to be FULLY DEVOTED | it will not happen by accident, you need to WANT TO.

What does it mean to be devoted to Jesus? to each other?

Faithfully serving him - and how do we get there?

Without me you can do nothing.

Let’s understand our role in this | **Grab Branch**

When you’re bracnh, you bear spiritual fruit.

What is Spiritual Fruit?

So glad you asked;

If you are doin these things, would you feel empty?

You would be living your HIGHEST calling of your life | One word appears 11 times in this chapter | Let’s see if we can find it.

ABIDE some say REMAIN: Greek word = MENO - Abide, Dwell, LIVE IN.

Not just a few hours per week | No, this is fully devoted, all the time to the one who matters most.

I will seek FIRST the one who Matters MOST.

BRANCH needs VINE | If you don’t stay connected, you’re dead.

Jesus is the vine, you are the branch.

Your mission, if you choose to accept it | Be the branch | be the one who NEEDS | SEEKS | Intentionally connected to the LIFE SOURCE.

How do we live this out?

Let’s get really practical here.

Seek first, SEEK FIRST, then ALL will be given!! SEEK FIRST.

We need a time | Place | Plan.

If I spend time with Emma = We plan it out |

Time : Spend time with God | Plan it out | Morning?

Before Gym?

After Gym?

When kids go to bed?

Place: Decide on a regular Place = near your bed | Kitchen table | Bathroom.

Plan: If something important, plan ahead of time - Reading Plan - Do it with friends - Have a Journal - Put in there who you’re gonna pray for

Why?

Why do this = Because - 168 hours in a week - and we’re not going to give a holy God our scraps.

We are going to SEEK Jesus First.

We are just going to start walkin…with God.

Our time with God is not limited to a small devotion | But through the day we are talking to God | Listening to God | Alligning ourselves WITH GOD | and we have a mood of seeking Jesus First.

Then what happens?

Weird Spiritual Stuff | We stop doing stuff as we get convicted and we become really, really weird - like…Nice…and…Loving…and Generous.

See, when we are LED by the SPIRIT - God doesn’t get our leftovers - Instead you switch it to GOD IS YOUR LIFE.

He is not a little part, He is EVERYTHING to you - Then, your life becomes HIS not your own, and you start living out a LIVING SACRAFICE.

All day | Seeking him | Listening to Him | Being with Him

Then WHEN GOD is your LIFE

He impacts your life | Work | Starts giving you words to say | Encouraging | Correcting you | Guiding your steps

Our God is with you - Throughout all of it | Then, when you feel this - When you are lead by the things of God | You become a fully devoted follower of Jesus!!

Not just a moment in time | a full devotion |

Friend | So close | Grew Apart | He went down a tough path | I got this message | Dinner | Too busy, I was too busy but really, if I searched my heart, I didn’t want to give Grace - Get pulled in - Boundaries are healthy - now we don’t jump in the mud, but opportunity to pull him out.

I said no. | 1 week later = he had hung himself | I still remember that message | a moment like that makes you pause | look at your 168 hours and ask yourself;

What do I believe?

Deep down in my heart | What really matters in life?

| What will outlast our time on earth?

Who is it that matters most?

I want to devote my life to THAT!!

Not that which is self-seeking | self-centered | easy | comfortable | I want to be apart of something bigger | Sooo connected to vine |

If it’s important to you, you’ll find a way.

The branch needs the vine | Without the vine you are dead- you need Jesus, your life is a vapor, here one minute, gone the next.

Stop, what matters to you the most?

Think of the time we are in: Jesus is coming back - and it won’t be in the same way.

“King of kings” “lord of lords” wants a relationship with you.

**Altar Call**

**Prayer**