Next Steps #5

Northside Church

Next Steps LAC #5

4/3/22 Commitment Sunday

Jamey Mills

My name is Jamey Mills, I’m the lead pastor of Northside… So excited that I get to share today with you guys… not just because I love to do this… but because it's such an important day in the history of Northside.

Today is commitment Sunday… something we’ve been praying about for a long time at Northside… we didn’t expect this day to be here so early in our existence… we’re just over two years old… but in Covid years… it feels like we are just getting out of the gate.

And there are a mountain of reasons to be amazed at the goodness of God… and the way that He’s provided for and led Northside… it's been revolutionary in my own faith.

The way I’ve seen Him respond to my fear, answer prayer, and do things that I can only describe as miraculous…

But it got me thinking this week…

Do you believe that?

Is God really good?

And… and does His goodness somehow rise and fall with what I experience in life?

Do I have this tendency to say God is only good when life is good?

Will I blame God… or deny his goodness when life is hard?

It reminds me of when God miraculously and powerfully delivered his people from cruel oppression and slavery in Egypt…

In that process… the reality of God and His power was clearly seen in undeniable and crazy ways.

It eventually came to this place where God’s people were trapped… one one side was the Red Sea, and on the other was the most powerful army in the world…

In Ex 14 God told Moses to pick up his staff and raise his hand over the water… and as he did that, the sea split… and God’s people walked across the dry sea bed…

In my life, I’d like to think that was enough. Seeing that… would be all it took to cement my faith in the goodness of God… for whatever time I had left.

When the Egyptian army came after… It says that God’s great glory was on display as the entire army was swallowed by the sea

At that moment… all of God’s people would have loudly proclaimed the goodness of God. In fact… most of chapter Ex 15 is this emphatic-heartfelt song that they wrote… praising God for His strength and goodness.

“The Lord is my strength and my song, He is my God and I will praise Him… with your unfailing love you lead the people you have redeemed. You guide them to their sacred home… you protect them, until the people that you have purchased… pass by. The lord reigns forever and ever”.

They were sold on the goodness of God…

But as they moved out from there and into the wilderness, where they’d spend the next 40 years… wandering… It didn't take long at all for the journey to get hard, just one month removed… this is where they were now…

Exodus 16:2–3 NLT

There, too, the whole community of Israel complained about Moses and Aaron. “If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.”

(NLT)

2 The whole community of Israel complained about Moses and Aaron.

3 “If only the LORD had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.”

They saw these amazing miracles… were inspired to write songs about the goodness of God… and now… long for the slavery they once knew… because the journey had gotten uncomfortable… It seems like… in their eyes… God was no longer good.

And I don't know about you… but I want to get to this place where my heart cries out honestly… to the goodness of God, regardless of what's going on around me.

I do believe joy is found there.

And I wanted to share with you a couple ways I think we can focus our hearts toward the goodness of God…

Realize that everything you are and everything you have comes from God.

Not just saying it… that's too easy. But coming to this place where this is a core part of who we are and how we view not only God, but also the world around us.

Everything we have… every item and opportunity… every ability… every gift… ever second…

And it might be a dumb illustration… I love sports… but I struggle with it too. You see it all the time… when someone will do something great… and then beat their chest… or point at their name on the back of the jersey… get up in someone's face about it.

But to me, here is the point. Name one thing Lebron James has accomplished in which God shouldn’t get credit? His size? His freakish natural ability? His passion to refine his God given gifts? Even the air he uses to train….

It's amazing to me to think about… how would the way we see life change… if we really got to this place of embracing that truth? Everything I have… everything that I am… comes from Him.

I could take you to the very place I was standing when I began to see and embrace the way the Lord has made me… to begin to see His image in me… it changed my life.

Incredibly freeing in terms of what people thought about me… in viewing what I don't have. Even in appreciating the gifts and attributes God has given others…

And when we get to that point where we realize that everything we are… and everything we have come from Him… we no longer feel the need to make our name great… but to really focus our lives on making His name known.

How does believing all that we are and have come from Him change the way we view and do life?

Pride… can take a back seat. Humility finds its way into our lives.

To me it even goes this far… who made Israel God’s own people? He did

Who directed them and brought the opportunities… both good and hard… He did

Who provided… He did.

Who delivered them… He did.

In the midst of their complaining… it says that God miraculously provided for them.

Sending bread… mana… in the morning and quail and night…

And with it came these instructions… Don’t gather what you won’t eat that day…

And the whole idea, the whole point is that God was teaching them that He will provide what they need.

Almost understandably, in the face of the struggle… there were some that didn't listen… that collected more… that were hoarding it.

Why? Why would they do that?

And the only explanation I have is this… they weren’t at this place of trusting that God really will provide… and it had a large impact on just about every part of their life… but also on the community around them.. it had real consequences…

And so… the question is… where are you with that. Do you really see God as your source… your provider… in a way that sort of loosens our grip on just about everything else? Coming to that place where we realize we are managers of what He’s entrusted to us… is huge.

It reminds me of this passage…

Matthew 6:25–34 NLT

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

(NLT)

25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Jesus teaches us to let go of worry as we trust in His provision.

At times that feels like a hellacious leap of faith… mostly looking forward, but as I look back, not so much. God’s track record of provision in my life is… perfect.

In the face of everything that is uncertain… health, jobs, money, world peace, relationships, my own silliness…

Understanding God as our provider… as our true source… changes the way we see and relate to Him, it changes the way we relate to others, and it challenges the way we see ourselves…

We see God’s power and majesty… but we also see His heart for you.

Incredible…

What can rob us from seeing God as our provider?

I think two major things that can rob us from seeing God as our source and provider are…

Our view of Him is far too small.

We refuse to see ourselves in the light of Him: basically ignoring the truth about who He says that we are… and instead… believe all kinds of garbage… from people and a culture that is as messed up as we are.

Both of those mentalities are life taking… captivity making thoughts that will lead you away from the fullness and freedom that God desires for you.

There is freedom in it… it’s one of the predecessors of joy…

My needs are met by the Lord's provision… knowing that… feels like the weight of the world is taken off your shoulders…

And all of that leads to the second point…

It helps us live out of this place of gratitude.

I want to get to that place where my heart sees the goodness of God no matter what my circumstances are… where I know for certain that His goodness is not circumstantial nor can it be reduced to my experience… Goodness is a part of the reality of who God is… no matter what I say or how I feel.

One of the most important reasons to get to that place where you realize that everything comes from God is… it changes the way you see and do and treat everything else. It causes us to be grateful and humble… to appreciate things in a much deeper way…. It's joy inducing… and it's something God desires… for you…

My first run in with grace… who am I… why did you pull me out…

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 NLT

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

(NLT)

16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

It’s part of God’s will… part of what God requires of you and I. To be thankful… joyful… to never stop praying.

I want to ask you to stop… and consider that reality.

How would your life be different right now if you began to see God as your true and only source and became relentlessly thankful before Him?

How would it change your marriage and the way you see your spouse?

How would it change your relationship with you kids… even if they are rebellious?

How would it change the way you see your job?

What you complain about? What you pay attention to? The way that you worry? What you chase in life? What it is you cling to in life?

Thankful people… are happy people.

They tend to be less caught up in pride.

They tend to be less caught up in selfishness.

They tend to be better at relationships.

They tend to have a healthy relationship with stuff…

Paul encouraged the Ephesians … “Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (

Ephesians 5:20 NLT

And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

)

Paul told the Colossians to be “overflowing with thankfulness.” (

Colossians 2:7 NLT

Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

)

To the Thessalonians Paul wrote, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

)

Gratitude before God is a huge part of a heart that pleases God.

You cannot see God or relate to God the right way without it.

I also believe that it leads to…

3.

It leads to obedience to His plan.

For those Israelites in the wilderness… things went better when they followed God’s plan… when they obeyed what God told them to do.

And that's true for us today too… God has something in mind when it comes to how we handle what it is He’s provided in our life… which is everything.

He has a plan for how we handle… our identity, our relationships, our gifts and everything else that He provides along the way.

I do think that it what Jesus had in mind when He said… seek the kingdom of God first… and all the other stuff will come along too.

We’re blessed when we take Him seriously… God is honored… in that.

And things can get off the rails in our heart and in our lives when we choose to ignore it.

The OT talks about giving what is first and best to God… identified as a tithe… and the Ot talks about it being 10%...

From what I read, thats not binding for you and I today… but, I don't think you can read the New Testament without coming to this strong conclusion that God expects us to be faithful… to give what's first and what's best of ourselves… and our resources… understanding that He is the one that's provided it all… no matter how hard you think you've worked for it or how badly we want to claim it as our own.

But God’s plan toward what He provides doesn't end there.

There is room in His plan for us to enjoy what He’s given.

There is directive in His plan for us to use what He’s given with integrity.

There is wisdom about how debt is to be handled.

There is direction in His plan for how our resources are to be used to care for our family.

There is provision in His plan for how the abundance He provides is to be made available to advance His kingdom. “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8)

Conclusion:

I read a story this week about a young man who was proud of himself… he graduated from College… taken the exam and was officially a CPA.

His dad was an immigrant to the US and now owned a small business… Full of pride the young man began to criticize his father… you’re so unorganized… you have no idea what your profits even are… over there are your accounts receivable over here is all of your receipts… You don’t have any idea how much you’ve made.

The father answered, “Son, when I came to this country the only thing I owned were the shirt and pants that I was wearing. Now, your brother is a doctor, your sister is a teacher, and you are an accountant. Your mother and I own our home. We have a car, and we own this little business. Now add that up, subtract the shirt and pants, and all the rest is profit.”

We all started with nothing … and we will all end with nothing. In between the nothings … everything we gain, we gain because of God and His blessings … God owns it all and He provides it generously to us … so everything we receive, we should receive with gratitude … commitment to the Kingdom … and use according to God’s plan.

The time is here… My hope is, we have sought the Lord… and are ready to be courageously faithful to whatever He may be leading us to do.

The worship team is going to lead us in a few songs… and as they do we have two opportunities…

I want to invite you to turn in your commitment card and any first fruit offering toward the Land Acquisition that you felt led to give at the basket in the back… again… I hope you don’t do this flippantly or half hearted… but in responding to His grace… His goodness… His provision in your life… with deep gratitude… investing in the priorities of God.

Take communion…

The sign of God’s goodness to you and over you… is through what His son Jeesus did on the cross… Sin… is a real thing… One of the prayers I pray for Northside is right there… that God would allow us the wisdom to understand the bankruptcy and brokenness that sin brings into our life…

But so is His grace… so is the fullness and freedom that comes from a life that's surrendered to… and lived out in full view of the goodness of God.

So… during the next few songs… I want to invite you to participate in those three things… as we sing a few songs…

Pray…

SING

Jamey and will pray

Jesus Himself gave us communion as a way of remembering that… of holding on to and reflecting on this truth… the most important truth there is.

So, as we sing the next 3 songs… I’d encourage you to turn in FF offering, commitment card, as well and participate in Communion.

Pray