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The Spiritually Self-Seeking Church

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Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. – Ephesians 4:11-13 NLT

**The Spiritually Self-Seeking Church**

Reconciliation means the restoring of the relationship between the entire human race and God, putting it back to what God designed it to be. This is what Jesus Christ did in redemption. The church ceases to be spiritual when it becomes self-seeking, only interested in the development of its own organization. The reconciliation of the human race according to His plan means realizing Him not only in our lives individually, but also in our lives collectively. Jesus Christ sent apostles and teachers for this very purpose— that the corporate Person of Christ and His church, made up of many members, might be brought into being and made known. We are not here to develop a spiritual life of our own, or to enjoy a quiet spiritual retreat. We are here to have the full realization of Jesus Christ, for the purpose of building His body.

Am I building up the body of Christ, or am I only concerned about my own personal development? The essential thing is my personal relationship with Jesus Christ— “…that I may know Him…” (Philippians 3:10). To fulfill God’s perfect design for me requires my total surrender— complete abandonment of myself to Him. Whenever I only want things for myself, the relationship is distorted. And I will suffer great humiliation once I come to acknowledge and understand that I have not really been concerned about realizing Jesus Christ Himself, but only concerned with knowing what He has done for me.

My goal is God Himself, not joy nor peace,
Nor even blessing, but Himself, my God.

Am I measuring my life by this standard or by something less?

July 10, 2016 – Life Hacks “How to make a decision” Sermon Notes

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I. Don’t Rush…Wait!

We don’t trust…

We lean on our own understanding…

Prov 19:2 (MSG)

Ignorant zeal is worthless; haste makes waste.

Proverbs 21:5 (MSG)

Careful planning puts you ahead in the long run; hurry and scurry puts you further behind.

Land

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II. When waiting…don’t just wait!

Proverbs 18:13 (NIV)

Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish.

 

Research

Proverbs 18:13 (NIV)
Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish.

 

Seek Advice

Proverbs 11:4 (NLT)
For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.

 

Be Unified

Proverbs 30:24-28 (NLT)
There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise:
25 Ants—they aren’t strong,
but they store up food all summer.
26 Hyraxes[e]—they aren’t powerful,
but they make their homes among the rocks.
27 Locusts—they have no king,
but they march in formation.
28 Lizards—they are easy to catch,
but they are found even in kings’ palaces.

 

Act with Integrity

Proverbs 10:9 (NLT)

People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed.

Hear God’s Voice

Proverbs 3:5-6
We can’t trust, lean or acknowledge unless we first hear Him.

 

How?
30 Steps Toward God 30 Steps Toward God

 

Daily Devotions
Bible App

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II.Take a Step

If you trust God, lean on Him, acknowledge Him in everything, He has put you on a path.
Some of us are on the path, but standing still.

Proverbs 6:1-11 (NLT)

My child, if you have put up security for a friend’s debt
or agreed to guarantee the debt of a stranger—
2 if you have trapped yourself by your agreement
and are caught by what you said—
3 follow my advice and save yourself,
for you have placed yourself at your friend’s mercy.
Now swallow your pride;
go and beg to have your name erased.
4 Don’t put it off; do it now!
Don’t rest until you do.
5 Save yourself like a gazelle escaping from a hunter,
like a bird fleeing from a net.
6 Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones.
Learn from their ways and become wise!
7 Though they have no prince
or governor or ruler to make them work,
8 they labor hard all summer,
gathering food for the winter.
9 But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up?
10 A little extra sleep, a little more slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
11 then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.

It’s time to act!

The point of the passage is finances and hard work, but it is also general wisdom.

If you know what to do…do it!

Start with one step.

2 Big Questions:

What is your next step?

  • Job: network, resume job board work on the side, make the full-time leap
  • House: arrange finances, get out of debt, repair current home, put house on the market, find a realtor
  • Marriage: go on a date, be intentional, buy a ring, talk with parents, Propose!
  • College: Research colleges, Determine budget, Apply for loans, Type of school?, Apply!

What is your why…
What is your reason to act?

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III. It’s Never Too Late

Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
6 Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.

This verse does not say…if young, if perfect, if wealthy, if you’ve made lots of good decisions…

There Will Be a Future

Future
Our future is secure in Jesus.

The most important decision you can make…becoming a follower of Jesus.

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Keep Recognizing Jesus by Oswald Chambers

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Matthew 14:28-31

28 Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

29 “Yes, come,” Jesus said.

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.30 But when he saw the strong[d] wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,”Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

Keep Recognizing Jesus

The wind really was boisterous and the waves really were high, but Peter didn’t see them at first. He didn’t consider them at all; he simply recognized his Lord, stepped out in recognition of Him, and “walked on the water.” Then he began to take those things around him into account, and instantly, down he went. Why couldn’t our Lord have enabled him to walk at the bottom of the waves, as well as on top of them? He could have, yet neither could be done without Peter’s continuing recognition of the Lord Jesus.

We step right out with recognition of God in some things, then self-consideration enters our lives and down we go. If you are truly recognizing your Lord, you have no business being concerned about how and where He engineers your circumstances. The things surrounding you are real, but when you look at them you are immediately overwhelmed, and even unable to recognize Jesus. Then comes His rebuke, “…why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31). Let your actual circumstances be what they may, but keep recognizing Jesus, maintaining complete reliance upon Him.

If you debate for even one second when God has spoken, it is all over for you. Never start to say, “Well, I wonder if He really did speak to me?” Be reckless immediately— totally unrestrained and willing to risk everything— by casting your all upon Him. You do not know when His voice will come to you, but whenever the realization of God comes, even in the faintest way imaginable, be determined to recklessly abandon yourself, surrendering everything to Him. It is only through abandonment of yourself and your circumstances that you will recognize Him. You will only recognize His voice more clearly through recklessness— being willing to risk your all.

Life Hacks – How to Fight Fear Sermon notes 7/3/15

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Life Hack: A clever solution to a tricky problem

Top 3 Fears American’s have:

#3 Snakes and Spiders 

#2 Heights 

#1 Public Speaking 

Fear is most alive in the fabrication of your mind…

Proverbs: Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair. – (Proverbs 1:2 NLT)

 

I. Fear of human opinion = Replacing God with other people

 

The fear of human opinion disables. – Proverbs 29:25a The Message

 

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II. But the Bible has a very different Life Hack to Fear of Human opinion.

The spiritual life hack to the fear of man is to fear the Lord.

Fear of Man: People are Big and God is small.

Fear of God: God is Big and people are small

 

Fear of God = Replacing “people” with God

 

Matthew 10:28 NLT

28 “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

 

Proverbs 29:25 MSG

The fear of human opinion disables;

trusting in God protects you from that.

 

 

Proverbs 1:7a ESV

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge

 

 

Proverbs 14:26a ESV

In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence

 

 

Proverbs 19:23 NKJV

The fear of the Lord leads to life,

And he who has it will abide in satisfaction;

He will not be visited with evil.

 

The fear of the LORD is expressed in reverential submission to his will.

Fear will taunt you…

 

1 Samuel 17:8

8 Goliath stood and shouted a taunt across to the Israelites. “Why are you all coming out to fight?” he called. “I am the Philistine champion, but you are only the servants of Saul. Choose one man to come down here and fight me!

 

Fear is relentless…

Faith sees something else

Fear is overcome one victory at a time…

Victory comes by the LORD

God gives the victory

Face fear quickly

The only way to fight fear is to run toward God.

To run in the face of fear in obedience toward God.

Fearing God is the foundation to fighting fear

 

Proverbs 1:7 NLT

7 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge,

but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

 

God has not given us a “spirit of fear”

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