Wednesday Night 8/10/22

Foundations Part 2

Last week I asked the question:

“What is the framework that determines all your life choices?”

That’s a big question that I can ask more simply this week.

So to rephrase,

“What are foundational beliefs you have that drive your decisions?”

What do you believe that motivate you to make decisions?

Even more simple.

What beliefs do you have that make you who you are?

What do you believe that is foundational?

This is such an important question to ask always, but it’s especially important to ask at the start of a school year.

How many of you are looking to go to school this year and.

Start telling or laughing at jokes you know you shouldn’t?

Saying words or talking in ways dishonoring to God?

Viewing people as objects rather than image bearers of the God of the universe?

None of us are planning to fail in those areas!

But we can fail there… if I don’t have a good foundation of beliefs that protect me from failure.

So here is one foundational truth for us tonight that we will focus on.

People won’t seek Jesus for you.

Did you know that?

At the end of your time on earth, What we have to show Jesus is our life. That’s it.

Not the life your parents gave you.

Not the life you wished you had.

It’s just you.

What if you never seek Jesus?

That’s kind of a scary question, but it doesn’t have to be.

Every day is a new day! You can start by making Jesus your goal today.

Philippians 3:7-11 “7 But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. 8 More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ—the righteousness from God based on faith. 10 My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, 11 assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead.”

I want to read part of a letter given to me on the first youth trip I ever led.

*Focus on all my mistakes*

POINT:

You know what I gained from that trip though?

I knew I had the support of a lot of adults around me.

We all went 10 hours from home and immediately went to war together because of my mistakes.

Rather than blame me, they helped me.

Why would they do that?

Because of this verse! What mattered on that trip wasn’t that all the details are right.

What matters that teenagers have a connection with Jesus and they love him!

And one of my favorite memories was a guy named Clayton in our group gave his heart to Jesus on that trip.

One of my all time favorite youth memories was leading him to Jesus on the balcony of a hotel by the beach.

What is your goal this school year?

Good grades?

TO make the team?

To be cool?

To fit in at all costs?

Be wise in what you pursue. Most of these things are not worth pursuing.

The foundation of your life is built from your pursuits.

Paul said in Philippians

My goal is to know Him, the power of His resurrection.

Is that your goal?

Is that mine?

If Jesus is not your pursuit, you need to realize what you are pursuing is not God.

Grades, sports, friends… All these are good things…

But at the end of time, we know when we stand before Jesus will these things really matter?

NO!

Jesus will simply ask us one question…

Did you seek me?

Was I your main pursuit in life?

It’s the same thing as the man on the middle cross.

There is a story one famous pastor tells today that pops up around Easter.

When the man on the theif on the cross showed up in heaven,

can you imagine the questions?

Sir, What is your belief about the gospel?

uhh… IDK

What about salvation?

IDK

Justification?

IDK?

Sir can you give me a biblical definition of sin?

Sir, I’ve never heard those terms?

Friend, How did you get here?

And the thief says, “The man on the middle cross said I could come!”

He said I could come.

That’s our goal.

I don’t have all the answers this school year for you.

But I do know this.

No one can love Jesus for you.

Like the thief on the middle cross, all of us can say, Jesus said I could come!

Don’t miss the invitation of the Savior today.

Jesus wants all of us.

Is your goal to want Him back?