5/1/22- You Follow Me

This is a good practical. Principal. You cannot preach without God's word, for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus. For good works. Before we get started this morning.

I have a few announcements that I need to tell you. Number one, this morning me charge started a new adult Bible class. Don't worry, didn't miss anything besides most important class. We've had thus far, but I encourage you, I admonish you, I beg of you. If you're not coming to our adult Bible class on Sunday morning to, please dedicate your time to do that. We're going through the Kings and you say, but we don't need the Old Testament. Don't say that to me cuz we're going to have a long lecture right after you say that to me. Okay, please come to our adult Bible class. You will be encouraged. You will be edified. You will learn God's word. You will put it in your mind. And in your heart, it's a good time of study this morning. And in the upcoming weeks also were reading through the Bible as a church together. If you have not started that, that's okay. You can still pick where we are at currently. We are reading through 1st and 2nd Samuel by the end of the year, will have read the whole Bible together. Don't feel bad, if you're behind, don't feel bad, if you haven't started. You can start today. Each day is a new day that you can dedicate yourself to put in God's word in your life, in your heart, and your life of your family. You can dedicate that time together. Also, another announcement, y'all are tricky. But listen to this one, we changed our teaching rotation 21 months, which is been good. But the problem with one month, as you feel, like if I sign up for one month, then I don't have to sign up for any other months. That's not the point of the change, the changes to get some new people teaching, which has happened, but also to fill out that schedule for the whole year is there. And I work on that together. If you're not teaching, I asked you to reach out to her. It's a one-month rotation to just give you some time to get used to teaching some of the kids classes to get some to do something that you haven't done. Yes, if you have any questions about that to Sarah or myself, but the purpose of that is to give everybody a break. We do these things together to glorify God to have no selfish and Taking but to serve others first, the purpose of our sermon this morning last note. You just had a young man read from the Book of Proverbs. We've been doing that over. The last number of weeks. We are in its finished, Proverbs Chapter 6. The reason for that is pretty simple. The Book of Proverbs is a book of wisdom. It's a book of knowledge may be the passes that you read, that you are just read made you a little uncomfortable because of the content that was in it, but what a better place to do that together as we challenged. Our young people are young men into read through passages that are some in the church. We might be uncomfortable to talk about but our society is chocolate filled with sexual immorality. If you don't talk about it here Church, where else will we talked about it? It might make you feel uncomfortable to talk about a prostitute in to talk about the ways in which men often struggle, but if we don't do it together and talk about these things, here. We are failing grade. And so I've decided that our young men are going to read through Proverbs to give them a place to serve, but also it's the book of wisdom, The Book of Proverbs. There's some life lessons in there that you. And I need to learn to grow about and, to talk about as well. So as we get into our sermon this morning, it's going to flow from that thought process when we talked about service. For some reason. I cannot take control of this. I don't know why.

Pause for a moment.

Okay, so I'm going to need you to go to the sites for some reason. It doesn't have it. I'm so we've been going through the last couple weeks talking about self development for God's glory Ephesians 2:10. This morning's sermon is very simple. It's very practical and I pray to God, your mind in your heart, hear the words and hear the questions and which I will ask you this morning when we talked about a simple Church. What's been keeping it real and keeping it simple. You are just people. I am just a person last week. We talked about self righteousness the week before that. We talked about Pride. Sure. She's there. Real things that we have to get past and to grow and to move in our relationships to God. Often times in our Christianity, we've been so stagnant for so long. There's been no real spiritual maturity process. We've been dealing with the same issues for years or four generation, and we need to preach about them and deal with God's word and you, and I need to challenge ourselves to grow. So the question I asked you this morning is not complicated. Why are you here?

Truly this morning right now. What got you up out of bed? Was it something that you said, why I have to do this? Because why? We could get the check a box.

Is it because you have a responsibility to lead your home? You say? Well, I'm the father this house. We're going to church, something. We do as a family. If you don't have a reason or if your reason is not found in to give God his glory to spend time at the throne to spend time and Lord's Supper reflecting on Jesus's death. His burial is resurrection his life. If I didn't come here to praise him in song and to pray together as a church family were missing at church and often times were here for a reason. I mean, give it to you this morning. If our spiritual life revolves around what we can get. I didn't get anything out of church. I don't get anything out of Bible class. That's why I don't come if our spiritual life revolves around what we can give and not around what we can give. We have missed the purpose of Our Lives. In Christ. We missed it. Not just missed it by a little bit. We missed it by the whole principle of Jesus sacrifice on the Cross Church. Church has become the thing. Consumer Christianity has become this thing where I'm going to this place that I might be. I might feel fulfilled. I'm coming to this place so that I might be fed. I'm coming to this place that I can check off a box and make myself feel good about the rest of my week. And if those things when I come here or not met, I will not be happy. So I'll go to a different church until their men. I'll go to a different place and hildur Matt. Coming at all. And I'll just tell everybody, this is a reasons why I don't go to church anymore because it was about me and I was not getting the things that I mean. But the Bible says do nothing from selfish ambition. The Bible says, it's not about you. When we come to worship. We talked about pride and we talked about self righteousness. Last week. We looked at the Jews and multiple times throughout the New Testament where their own righteousness had became their purpose. A sad reality in our society today is people come to church so they can tell people, they went to church and say hey you should be going to church to. I'm better than you cuz I go to church. They don't say it like that, but it comes out like that often. If our spiritual lives, revolve around what I can get, and not what I can give. We have missed the purpose of Our Lives In Christ. You know what happens, when you've missed the purpose. That means you have missed the point the gold, the objective. Jesus says, pick up your cross and follow after me. You go through the New Testament and you think specifically about Paul's Epistles and he writes that he's churches, people that he's interacted with and talk to you. Did it's not about you. Philippians chapter few have this mind that is in Christ and you have no selfish ambition, but serve one another outdo one another and giving honor Romans chapter 12. It's about giving. But as a minister, something I hear frequently and that included here in this place. If I just didn't get anything out of it. I understand the thought, but we have our priorities backwards. It's not about what you can get out of it. It's about what you can give. May I tell you this this morning? Cuz Jesus already gave you enough. Amen. Jesus already gave you enough. God has already given you enough. You know, what sustains you and keeps you going to sacrifice of the Son of God is what keeps you going for? What you hear is. Well, Bible class just wasn't any good or I didn't get this right? I didn't get that. I understand that there might be a struggle or a disconnect, but I'm saying when you come to a buffet you better get a plate before you go eat. Now. It just didn't have what I wanted. Wasn't what I was looking for trouble. What did you bring to the table? You consider yourself spiritually mature and you come to bible class and you leave with the thought that you didn't get enough. It's not the teacher's fault, not the preachers fault. If I'm preaching with my whole person and you didn't get anything from the sermon because you were thinking about what you had for lunch or what you're going to do after that's not my fault Church. You can blame me if you want, but don't bring it to me cuz I'm going to take it and lay it right? Back at the feet of the one who said it. What did you bring today? Did you bring up art? That one? It says, once a praise God, while the singer wasn't what I wanted, but did you sing? The prayer was too long to, but did you pray? Will someone messed up words? Which is usually the preacher, this preacher always messing up, or did you hear what he said? Yeah, but did you hear what he said? Did you hear what he said? It's not about what you can get. That attitude causes the church to struggle. That attitude is not Christian. That attitude is selfish that attitude causes division, that attitude causes people to quit that attitude causes people to give up the Bible says, do not grow weary in well-doing. Why? Because in due season, I shall reap. If I do not lose. Heart. Why? You? Paul tells Timothy. I know whom I have believed in. My faith and trust is not in you and it shouldn't be in me either. It's in the god that you serve the one who sent his son. So let's look at some questions here this morning. Question number one. You this morning right now? Are you serving others? The Son of God, says this all throughout the gospels. I did not come to be served. But disturbing to give my life a ransom for many. If you have come here, just to be fail, to check off some box or to make yourself feel better about some other part of your life. We missed it.

The New Testaments purpose was to that, they might serve others better. Why Jesus says in John Chapter 13 viewers, this example that you might do to one another as the Son of God, creator of the world, John chapter 1 in the beginning was the word, the word was with God and the Word was God, came and dwelt among men, Daddy might serve them. But our churches have developed that. It's a me attitude, which is not found in Scripture. Are you serving others? And that applies clear across the board. Are you serving others at your workplace? If you were here, you should be your main purpose, write your name Ministry, but that doesn't just apply to hear that applies to anything that you do in life. Or is what you do more about you than about anyone else. And if it doesn't go your way and we can have it. Are you serving others? Not because the preacher study but the Son of God gave his life so that we might live it. Are you serving? Others is a question that I will never have to answer for interview only for myself. What is the question that we all have to answer question number two not just are you serving others, but are you shaping others? The things that we talked about, let this speech being you be seasoned with salt in the book of Ephesians or Colossians. That might not be an actor reference. Are you shaping other people the way that we look and perceive and deal with things when they're going through a hard time. What are the things that you say? Where do you point them to you? What do you show them? Are you shaping other people? And I would say for what reason? You are a light set on a hill City that cannot be hid in Matthew Chapter 5. What are you shaping them to be? Now? This applies very dramatically and the role that which God has given a large portion of us as a father, as a mother, as a husband, and as a wife, how are you shaping the others in your life?

He said he has your kids get older. I can't I don't know how this happened. I do. How did my children get the way that they are? I do. It's was not the Public School Systems fall. Wasn't the government's fall. It was, they spend their most time with you and you have shaped in. What are the things that they're dealing with? How did they go through? How did they deal with Society? They will learn those things from their parents. But outside of the home life, how do you shake those around you? You point them to God? When I, when it is, when people's lives are falling apart. What are the? What are the things that you say to them, to give them hope and encouragement? I pray to God, you give them the words of God that they might find life in it and find it more abundantly. I pray to God that you give them the example of the Son of God that they might have hope and they might have Grace and patients in their life, real life here. You right now this morning, how are you shaping the people in your life? So, how can I answer that question? Look with your, I listen with your ears? Let me say some other things, every person is responsible for their own life. That is a true statement, but it is also true that we shake the people around us. If you've been with the same group of people AKA I'm talking about this church currently for the same amount of time. I want to ask you a question. How have you shaped each other and if you don't like the shape, I'm going to ask you why. Why? Surely, I haven't had that kind of power or authority in one year's time to shake you all that much. How are you shaping others? Do they? You caused them. Do you interact with them in such a way that they don't want any part of it anymore?

See, how did the kids get like this? Are you shaping others for God's glory?

Maybe the most important one. Are you showing others? Jesus lived his life every day showing other people? The way the walk, the way to talk the choices to me. What about when your persecuted? He was led like a sheep to the slaughter without a word pilot says, don't, you know, I have authority. And what is Jesus say you have no Authority except from what has been given from up above. When you walk and people see you, what do they see? Are you living a life wrapped up in yourself, or you living a life wrapped up in Christ in service to others? Please be honest, this morning. In your own mind and in your own part as to why you do what you do, my purpose in Ministry is not very complicated. I pray to God, in the way that I serve. I can help people. See you got a little bit more clearly in their lives that they might take the steps that they need you to do. And be who got its called them to be. That I might share the light both in my life and in the words of God to show them all the blessings that we have in our creator. That is all that I want from this life. I am not perfect. In any stretch of my imagination will never pretend to be such but I pray. You see it in my marriage and the way that I treat my children. This is me. Something that we all strive to do. What are we showing others? And how we serve others and shaved others. Where is your Christian? You become about what you can get and until I get that I will never be happy. What are you showing them in your life?

Our last question this morning. Are you saving others? You say more only one name under Heaven can be be saved by acts 4:11. That's not what I'm saying is by your life. And the light that you show, bringing others to God, showing them who got is shaping them to see God serving them so that they might see God and his son there for saving them through you, who you are as a person, you connecting them to Jesus in the cross through Jesus Christ, to God above.

When's the last time you save someone? Can I know Jesus saves, but I feel like you should get my point. It's not that complicated.

You took them through a difficult time. You took them to the moment of. Okay, we're at this level spiritual maturity. We need to grow. We need to grow so that God would be glorified. When's the last time you shaved and showed and serve to see someone in their relationship to God?

Say what? Maybe never.

The last time you sat down and study through with someone something difficult. Reality is, it's probably very rare because we have made our own Waltz about ourselves. Our own Christianity about our self.

I know this to be true cuz look at the world around us. We're incredibly selfish in this blessed nation that we have. It's no different from anything that we see in the rest of the Bible, but I don't want to do that cuz I just don't want to do it. Hi, I don't want to do that. I'm not going to do that. Do you hear the odd to hear the pronoun? Has nothing to do with God, has nothing to do with his son. There's parts of our Lives. We refuse to give up. There's parts of our lives that we refuse to give to God. That's your problem, not mine and as in it is my problem. And now yours Let's be honest about the problem. Pride and self-righteousness. Selfishness.

I had a really hard time this week with sermon. I truly did. When I ask you this next question.

The reason I went back and forth in all of this.

This week. I just couldn't show asked me this morning. Is this? The total side you wanted to make? No, I forgot to change because I've been waffling back and forth that happens. Sometimes I have something that I want to preach about, which I'm still going to preach about and it's just there's something else and I wasn't honest with my heart all week long and I've just been struggling with it.

I want to come here this morning to ask you this one question. Why, why do you do what you do? Or why do you not do what you do? Can I say something out loud? Of course, I'm going to say something out loud. Going to make some of you feel uncomfortable, but that's the reality of the truth. Sometimes. I'll remember what Paul says to the church and Blaze. Have I become your enemy because I tell you the truth. It blows my mind at the building. I'm so full right now, but so empty for Bible class. It's just a priority thing, right? Shirley I'm in if you know that much about the Bible that you feel that you don't need to come to bible class. Surely, you can get something in that class. I'll be honest. The some of the most people I'm grateful for in our Bible class or Paul and Rose dishes. You know, why? Cuz no matter what comes up. They have something to add to our Bible study and I'm grateful for that because they give they give sometimes fall gets too much and I'll tell him I said, okay. Paul going to let somebody else answer but I'm grateful for that cuz he gives and she gives they give what they have to give but if you don't even show up, you can't give anything. The only thing that you are giving is your discouragement given

Bible studies, not that complicated. Why don't we jump to it? I prepare all week to try to be as inspiring as enthusiastic as I can about our Bible class cuz I love talking about the Bible. And we will sit in these chairs talking out of one side of our mouths that. I love God, with all my heart. My soul and strength, and I love the Bible, but not be here. Not something I can fathom.

But I am, I don't have to answer that question, but you're just not just about that five question. Each day that you live. That's still true, that Jesus Christ died on the cross for you. Have you made your life, your faith about you? Or about him and serving others shaping, others showing others. A good way to live. Show you a more excellent way. We made our own faith selfish, and Jesus came with selfless. Why are you here this morning?

It's only a question you get to answer and Matthew chapter 6 starting in verse 1. Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them for. Then you will have no reward from your father who is in heaven. That's when you give to the needy sound of trumpet, before you as the Hypocrites, do in the synagogues and in the streets that they may be praised by others. I am not looking for your praise. My sermon don't change. If at the end of the time, you like, man, that was the best sermon I've ever heard or flip side of that. That was the sorry. Excuse for sermon. God's word was preached. If my heart was clear for you to see you marked our desire to worship God as we gather together. Are rewarded in heaven. Truly. I say to you that they have received their reward, but when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing so that you're giving me being Secret in your father who sees in secret will reward you. What will your father seeing secret this morning? He knows your heart. Psalm chapter 17. David. Praise God. You have seen me in the nighttime. You everything is open before you and you have found nothing. God will see you in secret. 40cc in your heart this morning.

Reason for sermon in this series is that you? And I might grow together. We end the sermon. We come back to where we started. Infusions chapter 24. We are his workmanship. When using coming to church for a long time, it is a reality that we struggle with the monotonous of it. Play. Why do this every week? And when we lose the passion we lose the the the purpose of why we are here. Why we are here is because the Son of God went to the Cross sacrificed and served and shaped himself for the purpose of others that he might stay in. The grave was empty so that he might save them. He's coming again. So that he might save their Paul says in 1st Corinthians chapter 9. I have become all things to all men that I would tell me what it says. That I might save some in your life. Who are you saving and your life? Who are you shaping, and your life? Who are you serving? Those questions? Need to have answers very specific ones in your mind and in your heart, so when things are difficult and you're tired, and you're weary, you do not forget the why you are here. You're not just here to have a good time. You can go anywhere else to have a good time. We are here to bow down Before the Throne of the king who saved us from our sins.

Let us never forget it. Everything that you and I do, which the Bible literally says, in Colossians chapter 3, whatever you do in word or In Deed. Do all in the name in The Authority by the power of God through his son. Is that the life that we're living? Sweet and the sermon this morning, what would you what would your life worth? What would the sermon look like if I preached your life? I'm always up here, talkin about how you and I can really tell you about my marriage and my things. What if I preach your life from this pulpit. How would a shape others? How would it serve them? What would it show them?

The reality. Is that each of you are a walking talking sermon. The show God.

What is that look like? For by Grace, you are saved through faith in Jesus Christ Ephesians, 2:4 all lost and he had been found because of him and his sacrifice Church lives every day in service to others. It's not about you. How would your marriage work? If it was about you, but I didn't get my piece. That's not how mom, who is it off? The moms are always giving such a beautiful example. We see that all throughout the New Testament. We'll talk about that. Next week. Next week is Mother's Day. Right? I was a friendly, reminder husband's. You're welcome straight from the preacher created workmanship for good works. Remember why you are here. So next time you're going to complain about a song that was lead. Don't come to me cuz I'm going to ask you a question. But did you sing it with your whole heart, to the creator of the world? Cuz you was here. Presence of God, you're the temple of God or the singing, what it was, but did you see prayer wasn't, but did you pray Jesus? As our mediator? Did you pray? Hey, did you break the bread? And remember His sacrifice. Did you partake of the blood as we drink from the cup together church? It's not about you.

To God, be all the glory. We offer this invitation. We're going to sing a song Soldiers of Christ arise I believe is We stand up and we sing this invitation. Capriccio powerfully cannot preach first to myself. Thomas you remember why you're here and what you do and never lose sight of our purpose or Reason. As Paul tells Timothy. I know whom I have believed in and I am persuaded. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that works there that for their deal beyond the shadow of a doubt. Everything that I have given him everything that I had committed will be returned to me upon the dead. He comes back. I have no doubt in my mind. Let us not forget, but it's always serve and outdo one, another in serving each other and giving honor. Where honor is. There's anything we can do for you, this morning? Would you come forth as we stand in as we speak?

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