You Belong Here | Sycamore Creek
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 1 viewNotes
Transcript
CHANGING THE WORLD BY CHANGING LIVES
DON’T YOU LOVE YOUR CHURCH?
YOU BELONG HERE… Even Michigan fans...
RECAP STRONGHOLDS
There’s more to the story — It’s Not About Me — God’s not done
JESUS DEFIED ALL THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE RELIGIOUS PEOPLE
1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
ROLLING OUT THE RED CARPET FOR PEOPLE WHO THINK THEY DON’T BELONG
FIRST CHURCH EXPERIENCE — AWKWARD CHRISTIAN SAYINGS
SAVED — WEARING HATS — SHORTS — ROCK MUSIC IN CHURCH
I DON’T KNOW IF I REALLY BELONG HERE...
HAVE YOU EVER FELT LIKE YOU DIDN’T BELONG?? — THIS FEELINGS COMES BACK EVEN AS A CHRISTIAN
1ST TIME - 1000TH TIME — STRUGGLING — CLOSE TO GOD — FAR FROM GOD — DOUBTING GOD — YOU BELONG HERE
1 John 3:1 (NLT)w
1 See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!...
YOU BELONG HERE! — IN THE HOUSE OF GOD — WITH THE PEOPLE OF GOD — IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD — SO WELCOME HOME
JESUS MADE IT A PERSONAL MISSION TO TRY AND GET PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THIS
11 To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. 12 The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. 13 “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. 14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. 15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. 16 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.
I AM THE PRODIGAL SON EVERY TIME I SEARCH FOR UNCONDITIONAL LOVE WHERE IT CANNOT BE FOUND
RELATIONSHIPS — SPORTS — CAREER — POLITICAL OPINION
A LOT OF TIMES WE GO SEARCHING FOR OTHER LOVE BECAUSE WE THINK WE LOST GOD’S LOVE — BECAUSE OF MISTAKES
37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
THERES NOTHING YOU CAN DO!
17 “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.” ’ 20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.
ISN’T IT CRAZY THAT IT WAS WHEN HE STARTED WALKING BACK HOME THAT HE STARTED THINKING HE WASN’T ENOUGH?
RECAP THE ENDING OF THE PRODIGAL SON STORY
16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
In 1934 there was a teenage boy that lived in NC
In 1934 there was a teenage boy that lived in NC
His father was farmer, help prayer meeting. Praying that someone would be raised up to reach people like never before.
“That out of Charlotte the Lord would raise up someone to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth.”
There was a tent revival happening in town and his parents went but this teenager was far from interested in that. About a week of revival went by and one day this teenage boys friend invited him to come. He really wasn’t interested.
Rumors flew that angry students planned to march on the tabernacle and demonstrate right in front of the platform. And that maybe they would even injure Dr. Ham.
He bribed him by saying he could drive his truck to the revival if he came along that night.
That night, that invite changed everything. because that he accepted Jesus into his life. And his name, Billy Graham.
Billy graham went on to become a house hold name. In his revivals alone that were all over the world he preached to an estimated 250 million people.
It’s estimated that 12 million were saved at these revivals. MORE THAN THE ENTIRE POPULATION OF OHIO
The Invitation changed everything. — WHAT COULD HAPPEN IN THIS ROOM?
STAND UP ILLUSTRATION — SAVED — KNOW SOMEONE SAVED — FAITH HAS GROWN