Convinced: God Works for our Good

Romans 8:26-30 Sermon Points

The more we reaffirm who we are in the Christ, the more our lives reflect our true identity.

The Spirit of God seals who we are in God. We are God's children, adopted into His family.

Romans 8:26 – ““In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”

Romans 8:28 - “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[i] have been called according to his purpose.”

To Know = ironclad certainty, convinced

In every situation, good and bad. Christians, those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28 - “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[i] have been called according to his purpose.”

Good/Blessing = anything that draws us closer into the heart of God, the presence of the Holy Spirit and thus makes us look more like Jesus.

Romans 8:29 - “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”

There is no greater good than to be like Jesus Christ!

Romans 8:30 - And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.”

Convinced: If God is for us

“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8: 31 NIV)
‭‭

Question 1: If God is for us, who can be against us?

No one out thing can take us down when God is for us.

“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31 NIV)
‭‭‬‬

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1 NIV)
‭‭‬‬

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” ( Psalms 19:1 NIV)
‭‭‬‬

“Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.” (Psalm 19:2 NIV)
‭‭‬‬

“David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, “Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.” (1 Chronicles 29:10-12 NIV)
‭‭‬‬

““To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” (Isaiah 40: 25-26 NIV)
‭‭‬‬

“Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’” (Isiah 46: 9-10 NIV)
‭‭‬‬

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” (Psalms 139: 13-14 NIV)
‭‭‬‬

“But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”” (Exodus 33: 20-23 NIV)
‭‭‬‬

“When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord.” (Exodus 34: 29 NIV)
‭‭‬‬

Question 2: How will he not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?

“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8: 32 NIV)
‭‭‬‬

Question 3: Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? Who will condemn you?

“Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.” (Romans 8:33 NIV)
‭‭‬‬

“Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” (Romans 8: 34 NIV)
‭‭‬‬

“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.” (Colossians 2: 13-14 NIV)
‭‭‬‬

Question 4: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?” (Romans 8: 35 NIV)
‭‭‬‬

“As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”” (Romans 8:36 NIV)
‭‭‬‬

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8: 37-39 NIV)

Convinced: We Are God's Children

Paul is saying:

The Holy Spirit is giving him a deep desire to fight hard against sin.

The Holy Spirit is sitting him that he was a child of God.

The Holy Spirit is reminding him that our hope is not in this world but in Heaven.

Rom 8:12-25

1. If we are God's children, we have to get the IF right. v9; Eph 1:13-14. We only become God's children by salvation though placing your trust and faith in Jesus. Then we are filled with the Holy Spirit. The Romans road: Rom 3:23, 6:23, 5:8, 10:9-10

2. If we are God's children, we will be fighting the fight against sin. v12-13; Col 3:5-10; Rom 6:1-2; Mt 5:29; Rom 8:14. The fight against sin is very serious, and if the Holy Spirit is in you, it will be serious to you.

How do you fight sin?

-Make a conscious decision.

-Don't underestimate your enemy

-Be honest about the areas you are weak

-win the battle of the mind

-surround yourself with like minded people

-Keep short accounts with God

3. If we are God's children, we will walk in confidence, not fear. v15; Mt 18:3: Rom 8:16. God doesn't want us to be in fear of whether our relationship with Him is okay. Because I'm a child of God, I can call Him Abba, Father, Daddy. The Holy Spirit prompts me to cry out to Him, He's my Daddy. 

4. If we are God's children, we will be more excited about heaven than earth. v17-18. Our view of God will shape what we think and do. There's a big difference in saying I believe these things, and living as if I believe these things. 2 Cor 11:23-28; Rom 8:19-25

Convinced: In the Spirit

This uncertainties of this world tend to get a higher place in our lives than the certainties of God. This needs to be flipped!

Rom 8:5-11 5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.  9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

v5 Who we ARE determines how we live, are we of the Spirit or the flesh (sinful nature)? v9 I am of the Spirit, in Christ, and Christ is in me. 

What do we do now? Walk in the Spirit. Gal 5:13,16

1. Regularly remind yourself that your identity is in Christ. What we dwell on in our minds will shape the way we live our lives. Needs to be the Word of God. Rom 8:1; 2 Cor 5:17; Gal 2:20, 3:26; Rom 8:17

2. Regularly recognize you are in a battle. Gal 5:16-17a

3. Regularly refill with the Spirit. Eph 5:15-18. Don't procrastinate being refilled with the Spirit. Memorize scripture, Col 3:16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. What we feed the most will grow the most in our lives.

Convinced: Grace

Convinced: to be completed certain, to be assured of something

How convinced am I of my life and relationship with God in these uncertain times?

Rom 8:1 therefore: I know what I'm not supposed to do, but I do them anyway, what a wretched man I am. BUT there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. 

Rom 8:2-4 There are 2 laws: OT law makes us aware of sin which leads to death, and NT law is grace which leads to life. We are separated from God because of our sin, but in a right relationship with God because of Jesus' death. Rom 6:14 we are under God's grace. We are IN Christ we need Him to be our LORD. 

1. Your identity is not found in your religious acts. It needs to be all about the Lord. Gal 2:16a

2. Your identity is not found in your performance. You in Christ vs You AND Christ. I don't have to do everything on my own, it's Jesus and I working together. He has the strength when I don't. Phil 1:6

3. Your identity is not found in your sin. Since I am in Jesus, I need to see myself as God sees me, through grace and Jesus' righteousness, but also with Christ inside of me. 

I am free to live my life imperfectly under the grace of God through Jesus, with Him as my Lord.

Being Friends with God

Ginóskó: to come to know, to know, especially through personal experience

Mt 7:22-23; Phil 3:8-10

God's heart is for us to truly know Him.

Jn 15:13 Jesus died for his friends, he is my friend. Jn 15:14 

1. Spend time with God, read His Word

2. Pray without ceasing, your conversation with God never ends

3. Take God with you wherever you go, because he's already there. Our relationship with God is a cure for loneliness.

4. Being friends with God requires loving wherever you go. Jn 15:12-14

5. Being friends with God means talking with Him first. God wants to be as involved in my life as I will let Him.

Friendship with God turns prayer into conversation with our Creator.

2030: The Importance of Prayer

START WITH PRAYER

1. There's an expectation of prayer. Mt 6:5-15, 21:13; Mk 1:35. 

2. The early church prayed. Acts 2:42

3. We can pray confidently. Heb 4:14-16

4. We should pray continually. Ps 55:16-17; 1 Thess 5:16-18

5. Pray powerfully. Jas 5:13-16

6. Pray for boldness. Acts 4:29-31

7. Pray to know God better. 

Rescue Story: Rescued from Religion

Organized Religion = Man’s attempt, through rules, traditions, and ceremonies, to appease God or gods.

John 3:1-16 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. ” “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:1 - “Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.”
John 3:2 – “He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

It takes humility to find real truth and to remain in that truth.

Proverbs 11:2 - “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
Proverbs 22:4 – “Humility is the fear of the LORD; its wages are riches and honor and life.”
John 3:3 - Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

The only answer to spiritual death is spiritual life – not performance

Born Again = ‘Born from above’ or a ‘spiritual rebirth.’

Sin deforms us and separates us from God.

Romans 3:23 – “ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
Romans 6:23a – “For the wages of sin is death
Isaiah 59:2a - “It’s your sins that have cut you off from God.”

Jesus transforms us and unites us with God

Colossians 2:13 – “When you were dead in your sins…God made you alive with Christ.”
Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 10:9 – “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Ephesians 2:8-9 – “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”

John 3:4-8 - “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born! Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c] must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

Spiritual rebirth is a work of the Holy Spirit and not a human matter.

John 3:9-10 - “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?

Religion/tradition can often cloud our view of who Jesus Christ really is.

Mark 7:13 (NLT) – “And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others.”
John 3:16 - “ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Good people/religious people do not go to heaven, born again people do!

Romans 3:20 (NLT)
John 7:22-23 - Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

If you have Jesus, you have eternal life!!

Rescue Story: Rescued from Guilt and Shame

John 8:1–11 (NIV)

1but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.
3The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group
4and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.
5In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?”
6They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.
7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”
8Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.
10Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11“No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

1. JESUS LOVED SINNERS

John 8:2 (NIV)
2At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.

2. JESUS DESPISED SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS.

John 8:7 (NIV)
7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

3. JESUS IS NOT SHOCKED BY YOUR SIN.

John 8:3–4 (NIV)
3The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group
4and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.

4. YOUR WORST MOMENT EVER MAY LEAD TO YOUR BEST MOMENT EVER

John 8:9–10 (NIV)
9At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.
10Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

5. FORGIVENESS IS FREE BUT IT ISNT CHEAP.

Isaiah 53:5–6 (NIV)
5But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
6We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Romans 5:8 (NIV)
8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

6. GRACE AND TRUTH DO NOT CONTRADICT EACH OTHER.

John 8:11 (NIV)
11“No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

John 1:14 (NIV)
14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Romans 10:4 (NIV)
4Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

God Never Said That: It doesn't matter what you believe, as long as you are sincere

SINCERELY BELIEVING SOMETHING DOES NOT MAKE IT TRUE.

RELATIVISM- the doctrine that knowledge, truth, and morality exist in relation to culture, society, or historical context, and are not absolute.

Being sincerely wrong is still wrong. We can't make up our own truth.

WE BELIEVE THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD.

2 Tim 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

WE BELIEVE JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY TO SALVATION.

John 14:6 (NIV)
6Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Acts 4:12 (NIV)
12Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

WE BELIEVE IN THE BIRTH, LIFE, DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS.

Acts 3:15 (NIV)
15You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.

1 Corinthians 15:14–17 (NIV)
14And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.
15More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.
16For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.
17And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.

WE BELIEVE IN SALVATION BY GRACE, NOT WORKS.

Ephesians 2:8–9 (NIV)
8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
9not by works, so that no one can boast.

WE BELIEVE IN ETERNITY

Heaven will be Awesome!!

WE MUST GENTLY AND HUMBLY TELL OTHERS THE TRUTH.

1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)
15But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect

God Never Said That: God will never give you more than you can handle

1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)
13No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

It’s not that God won’t give you more than you can handle, but that God will help you handle all that you’ve been given.

SEEK GOD'S PRESENCE

1 Corinthians 10:12 (NIV)
12So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!

Psalm 18:4–6 (NIV)
4The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
5The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.
6In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.

EXPERIENCE GOD'S POWER

2 Corinthians 12:9–10 (NIV)
9But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
10That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Psalm 46:1 (NIV)
1God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

TRUST GOD'S PROVIDENCE

Romans 8:28 (NIV)
28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Genesis 50:20 (NIV)
20You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

FIND GOD'S PEOPLE

2 Corinthians 1:3–4 (NIV)
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,
4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

HOLD ON TO GOD'S PROMISE

Hebrews 10:35–36 (NIV)
35So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
36You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

GIVE GOD PRAISE

Job 1:21 (NIV)
21and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.”

God Never Said That: God Wants Me To Be Happy

There's nothing wrong with pursuing happiness IF our definitely of happiness is Biblically accurate.

God wants me to be happy

Isaiah 52:7 (ESV) – “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

Psalm 97:12a (NLT) – “May all who are godly rejoice…”

Psalm 97:12a (NLT) – “May all who are godly be happy…”

The Problem With Happiness

Happy:
a state of well-being and contentment: joy
a pleasurable or satisfying experience

John 10:10 – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

God wants us to be happy, unless that happiness is caused by something we have done that is not right or is unwise.

God wants us to be happy, unless it is at the expense of others.

God wants us to be happy, unless happiness, resulting from worldly things, becomes our greatest pursuit.

God delights in our happiness, when our happiness derives from us delighting most in Him.

Joy = Living in the awareness of grace and favor.
Grace = That which affords joy.

Joy is Grace recognized and lived out without depending on what you feel in the moment.

John 15:9-11 – “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

Isaiah 35:5-10 - “Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling spring. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it. No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, and those the LORD has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”

God Never Said That: A Heart to Follow

God never said to "follow your heart."

Genesis 6:5

Jeremiah 17:9

Proverbs 28:26 (NKJV)

Matthew 15:18-19

TAKEAWAY: Our hearts were never designed to be followed, but to be led by the only heart worth following.

Acts 13:22

1. Dependence

2. Obedience

3. Repentance

Fully DEPENDENT on God

Because David knew he couldn't trust his own heart.

Psalm 51:5

Psalm 16:2

Our dependence on God is directly connected to our understanding of who He is and who we are before Him.

The better our understanding of God, the more dependent we will be upon Him.

1 Samuel 17:37

Faithfully OBEDIENT to God

The more dependent we are upon God, the more obedient we will be to Him.

Acts 13:22

Psalm 18:1

Psalm 103:1-2

John 14:15

Fearfully REPENTANT before God.

Repentance- a change of mind that results in a change of action. Repentance puts sin in it's proper perspective.

Psalm 51:1-4, 7-10

How we feel about our sin is one the greatest indicators of how near or far our hearts are from God.

Psalm 139:23-24

Prov 3:5-6

From Complacency to Revival

Complacency- a feeling of contentment or self satisfaction, especially when coupled with an unawareness of danger.

Revival- renewed interest after a period of indifference or decline.

Isaiah 6:1–8 (NIV)
1In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.
2Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.
3And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”
4At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
5“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”
6Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar.
7With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
8Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

1. Revival involves a defining moment, usually a crisis

Isaiah 6:1 (NIV)
1In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.

2 Chronicles 26:1–5 (NIV)
1Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.
2He was the one who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after Amaziah rested with his ancestors.
3Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother’s name was Jekoliah; she was from Jerusalem.
4He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done.
5He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success.

2 Chronicles 26:16–23 (NIV)
16But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.
17Azariah the priest with eighty other courageous priests of the LORD followed him in.
18They confronted King Uzziah and said, “It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD. That is for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by the LORD God.”
19Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in the LORD’s temple, leprosy broke out on his forehead.
20When Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests looked at him, they saw that he had leprosy on his forehead, so they hurried him out. Indeed, he himself was eager to leave, because the LORD had afflicted him.
21King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in a separate house—leprous, and banned from the temple of the LORD. Jotham his son had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land.
22The other events of Uzziah’s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.
23Uzziah rested with his ancestors and was buried near them in a cemetery that belonged to the kings, for people said, “He had leprosy.” And Jotham his son succeeded him as king.

2. Revival involves a fresh glimpse of Gods glory.

Isaiah 6:1 (NIV)
1In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.

Isaiah 46:10 (NIV)
10I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’

Isaiah 6:2 (NIV)
2Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.

Isaiah 6:3 (NIV)
3And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

Isaiah 6:4 (NIV)
4At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

Isaiah 40:25 (NIV)
25“To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.

3. Revival involves repenting of our sin.

Repentance- a heartfelt sorrow for sin, a renouncing of it, and a sincere commitment to forsake it and walk in obedience to Christ.

Isaiah 6:5 (NIV)
5“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”

4. Revival involves experiencing the grace of God.

Isaiah 6:6–7 (NIV)
6Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar.
7With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

Ephesians 2:8–10 (NIV)
8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
9not by works, so that no one can boast.
10For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

5. Revival involves obedience.

Isaiah 6:8 (NIV)
8Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Jesus is Our Only Hope

1 Pet 1:3-9 Preach the gospel to yourself every morning, we have hope in Jesus.

Our minds are to be fully engaged. 1 Pet 1:13. Fill our minds with Godly things. 

Choose your words carefully. Always be helpful.

Our lives are to be different. 1 Pet 1:14-15. Our lives should point to the Holy God.

What do we do?

1. We need to pray.

2. Examine our hearts. 

3. Talk about the situation, be open, be helpful.

4. Don't go back to "business as usual." Be proactive, reach out to help in the name of Jesus. Be a part of the solution.

Jesus is there

John 4:1–26 (NIV)
1Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John— 2although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. 3So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. 4Now he had to go through Samaria. 5So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. 7When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) 9The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) 10Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” 11“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”

13Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” 16He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” 17“I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” 19“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21“Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
22You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

25The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

26Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

1. Jesus will always show up at noon.

A time when we are broken, when we hide our struggles, when we need Him most. Jesus is looking for me and wants to know me like no one else will.

John 4:6 (NIV)
6Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.

2. Jesus comes to us on our brokenness, not our greatness.

Jesus knows all of our struggles and sin, and He wants us anyway.

John 4:16 (NIV)
16He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”

3. Don’t miss your divine moment.

Open up to Jesus, come clean with Him.

John 4:13–14 (NIV)
13Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,
14but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

John 1:14 (NIV)
14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:16 (NIV)
16Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.

4. Tell your story!

John 4:27–30 (NIV)
27Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”
28Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people,
29“Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?”
30They came out of the town and made their way toward him.

John 4:39–42 (NIV)
39Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.”
40So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days.
41And because of his words many more became believers.
42They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”

SPEAK, DON’T SPEAK

Ecclesiastes 3:7b - “[There’s] a time to be silent and a time to speak…”

Before you speak, be certain your words would be better than your silence.

Position, Problem, Prescription

Position

James 3:2 perfect means mature. We must think about our words and how they affect others.

Proverbs 18:21 – “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

James 1:26-27 – “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.”

James 3:2-5 - “We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.

Problem

We have a sin nature, and our words can hurt others as well as our relationships.

James 3:7-8 – “All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”

James 3:9-12 –9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.”

Prescription

Listen to the Word of God, take time to think and pray. When you do speak, use words that are God honoring and give life and encouragement.

James 1-19 – “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry

James 1:21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”

Luke 6:45 – “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”

Proverbs 15:28 (NLT) – “The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking; the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words.”

Fix the heart, fix the issues.

Cry out to God, lean into Him, take His Word to heart.

Psalm 141:3 (NLT) – “Take control of what I say, O LORD, and guard my lips.”

Psalm 19:14 (NLT) – “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

Jesus Turned Around

Mark 5: 25-34 ESV And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

Jesus turned around. So awesome! Jesus will always turn around and call us a daughter or son.

Sometimes we might feel like Jesus won't like us because of the things we do. We serve a God who takes pleasure in us, who always loves us.

The woman in this story had been unclean for 12 years, she was an outcast. She tried to handle her problems by herself, but it just made her worse. So often we do this too, we turn to other things to numb the pain. The only way to be made whole is to get into the presence of Jesus. He wants us to come to Him, He loves us unconditionally. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

If Jesus sees us in pain or ashamed, His desire is to run to us and hold us and tell us He loves us.

Habbakuk week 1

It's ok for us to be raw and real with God.
4 Ways God answers prayer:
1. I can't hear you - when we are not in right standing with God. Ps 66:18
2. Yes. Isa 65:24
3. No. 2 Cor 12:8-9
4. Wait. Isa 55:8-9

Habakkuk 1:1-4 (NIV)
1The prophecy that Habakkuk the prophet received. 2How long, LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? 3Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. 4Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.

Psalm 66:18 (NIV)
18If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;

Isaiah 65:24 (NIV)
24Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.

2 Corinthians 12:8–9 (NIV)
8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
9But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Isaiah 55:8–9 (NIV)
8“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.
9“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Habakkuk 1:5-11 (NIV)
5“Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. 6I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwellings not their own. 7They are a feared and dreaded people; they are a law to themselves and promote their own honor. 8Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves at dusk. Their cavalry gallops headlong; their horsemen come from afar. They fly like an eagle swooping to devour; 9they all come intent on violence. Their hordes advance like a desert wind and gather prisoners like sand. 10They mock kings and scoff at rulers. They laugh at all fortified cities; by building earthen ramps they capture them. 11Then they sweep past like the wind and go on— guilty people, whose own strength is their god.”

God was going to use tragedy and calamity to bring people back to Himself. God can still use hard times to bring people back to Him, and He is always at work.

1. BE honest

Habakkuk 1:2 (NIV)
2How long, LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save?

Being a Christian doesn't exempt us from difficulty and troubling circumstances.

2. BE patient

Isaiah 5:19 (NIV)
19to those who say, “Let God hurry; let him hasten his work so we may see it. The plan of the Holy One of Israel— let it approach, let it come into view, so we may know it.”

3. DON’T give up

Psalm 73:13–14 (NIV)
13Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence.
14All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments.

Psalm 73:16 (NIV)
16When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply

Psalm 73:17 (NIV)
17till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.

Ask God for faith

4. Trust IN GOD

Habakkuk 1:5 (NIV)
5“Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.

Habakkuk 2:20 (NIV)
20The LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.

God is good and in control. Period. No matter what. God is at work in our struggles. He's got this.
God welcomes our questions and doubts, talk to Him, lean into Him.

Habbakuk week 2

A crisis of belief

Habakkuk 1:2 (NIV)
2How long, LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save?

Habakkuk 1:5 (NIV)
5“Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.

crisis

Habbakuk's complaint

Habakkuk 1:12–17 (NIV)
12LORD, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, you will never die. You, LORD, have appointed them to execute judgment; you, my Rock, have ordained them to punish.
13Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?
14You have made people like the fish in the sea, like the sea creatures that have no ruler.
15The wicked foe pulls all of them up with hooks, he catches them in his net, he gathers them up in his dragnet; and so he rejoices and is glad.
16Therefore he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to his dragnet, for by his net he lives in luxury and enjoys the choicest food.
17Is he to keep on emptying his net, destroying nations without mercy?

listen

Take time to listen to God

Habakkuk 2:1 (NIV)
1I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint.

write

Write down what God says to you

Habakkuk 2:2 (NIV)
2Then the LORD replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.

wait

Wait for God and His plan. We can trust God's timing. Learn in the waiting.

Habakkuk 2:3 (NIV)
3For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.

Nehemiah 9:1–3 (NIV)
1On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads.
2Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors.
3They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the LORD their God.

faith

Have faith that God's plan is good. Sometimes we believe in what we see, sometimes we believe in spite of what we see.

Habakkuk 2:4 (NIV)
4“See, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not upright— but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness—

2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV)
7For we live by faith, not by sight.

silence

God is on His throne, be silent before him and trust Him.

Habakkuk 2:20 (NIV)
20The LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.

Habakkuk 2:6 (NIV)
6“Will not all of them taunt him with ridicule and scorn, saying, “ ‘Woe to him who piles up stolen goods and makes himself wealthy by extortion! How long must this go on?’

Habakkuk 2:9 (NIV)
9“Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, setting his nest on high to escape the clutches of ruin!

Habakkuk 2:12 (NIV)
12“Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by injustice!

God is fully aware of the sinful ways of the enemy, and can use it to bring the righteous back to Him. Fix our eyes on the eternal. Walk by faith and trust in Him.

Habakkuk 2:15 (NIV)
15“Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk, so that he can gaze on their naked bodies!

Habakkuk 2:19 (NIV)
19Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’ Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’ Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it.”

2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV)
7For we live by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 4:16–18 (NIV)
16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

2 Corinthians 5:6–10 (NIV)
6Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.
7For we live by faith, not by sight.
8We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
9So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.
10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Habbakuk week 3

How do we respond when God doesn't act the way we want Him to?

Matthew 7:11 (NIV)
11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Habakkuk 1:2 (NIV)
2How long, LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save?

Habakkuk 1:5-6 (NIV)
5“Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwellings not their own.

Habakkuk 1:12 (NIV)
12LORD, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, you will never die. You, LORD, have appointed them to execute judgment; you, my Rock, have ordained them to punish.

Habakkuk 2:1 (NIV)
1I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint.

Habakkuk 2:3 (NIV)
3For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.

Habakkuk 2:20 (NIV)
20The LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.

1. Pray.

We must pray and talk to God. Instead of spending our time complaining and talking to others, we should spend our time praying.

Habakkuk 3:1 (NIV)
1A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth.

2. Remember.

Remember what God has done, trust Him. Find comfort in remembering who God is. Read the Word, think about the good things that God has done for us.

Habakkuk 3:2 (NIV)
2LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, LORD. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.

Habakkuk 3:3–4 (NIV)
3God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth.
4His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden.

Habakkuk 3:5–6 (NIV)
5Plague went before him; pestilence followed his steps.
6He stood, and shook the earth; he looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed— but he marches on forever.

Habakkuk 3:11 (NIV)
11Sun and moon stood still in the heavens at the glint of your flying arrows, at the lightning of your flashing spear.
Habakkuk remembers a time when Joshua was in a battle and they were winning and it was about to get dark and Joshua cried out to God, make the son stand still, and it did for 3 hours.

Habakkuk 3:13–15 (NIV)
13You came out to deliver your people, to save your anointed one. You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness, you stripped him from head to foot.
14With his own spear you pierced his head when his warriors stormed out to scatter us, gloating as though about to devour the wretched who were in hiding.
15You trampled the sea with your horses, churning the great waters.

3. Embrace.

Embrace God even in times of trouble, hold tight to Him. Love God for who He is.

Habakkuk 3:16–19 (NIV)
16I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us.

Habakkuk 3:17–19 (NIV)
17Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,
18yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
19The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

4. Shigionoth

A musical term, a lyrical poem with emotion, passion, dancing, joy. God, if you never do another thing, you are my everything.

Habakkuk 3:1 (NIV)
1A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth.

And Peter

Peter, the one who denied Jesus three times, was probably full of guilt and shame. God didn't want Peter to be left out or to stay away.

Mark 16:6-7 - “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”

Luke 22:62 - “And he [Peter] went outside and wept bitterly.”

Failure is not fatal or defining

Failure is not the end and doesn't define us if we've accepted Jesus.

God called you in spite of your failures.

God knows everything about us, past, present, and future, and He loves us anyway.

1 John 3:20 – “If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.”

Max Lucado – “You are never more saved or less saved than the moment you were first saved.”

God loves you in spite of your failures.

Jesus doesn't beat Peter up or put him down because of Peter's denial, he gently restores him. Neither the present nor the future... Nothing can separate us from God.

Romans 8:-38-39 – “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God wants to use you in spite of your failures.

God wants a humble heart, a repentant spirit. God knows our mistakes, and He wants to use us for His Glory. He can take our mess and turn it into a beautiful message.

Luke 22:62 - “And he [Peter] went outside and wept bitterly.”

1 Peter 4:8 – “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

What have you built your life on?

Make sure your foundation is on The Rock.

Matthew 7:24–27 (NIV)
24“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Hunger for God, let your light shine, give, pray, fast, store up treasure in heaven, don't worry.

Matthew 5:6 (NIV)
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Matthew 5:14–16 (NIV)
14“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 6:3–4 (NIV)
3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Matthew 6:6 (NIV)
6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 6:17–18 (NIV)
17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,
18so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 6:19–21 (NIV)
19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6:31–33 (NIV)
31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 7:24–25 (NIV)
24“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.

1. Lean into Jesus.

He paid the price for our sins, is praying for us, and is waiting to come back someday!

2. Don’t be afraid.

Cry out to him to give you a spirit to overcome the fear, peace that passes all understanding.

2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)
7For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

3. Don’t worry.

Pray!

Philippians 4:6–7 (NIV)
6Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

4. Find joy and grow!

Find joy in knowing Jesus, lean in to Him. Take time to hear from God.

James 1:2–4 (NIV)
2Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
3because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

5. We will get through this!

This is not the end of the world.

6. Continue to be the church.

7. Hit the right note!

I shall ask God mercifully to protect us. Then I shall fumigate, help purify the air, administer medicine, and take it. I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance infect and pollute others, and so cause their death as a result of my negligence. If God should wish to take me, he will surely find me and I have done what he has expected of me and so I am not responsible for either my own death or the death of others. If my neighbor needs me, however, I shall not avoid place or person but will go freely, as stated above. See, this is such a God-fearing faith because it is neither brash nor foolhardy and does not tempt God. —Martin Luther in 1527 concerning the proper response to the bubonic plague.

2030: This World Is Not Our Home

This world is not our home.

We are citizens of Heaven. Our life is so much more than our time on Earth, it goes on forever. What we do in our time on Earth has huge implications on our time in eternity.

Colossians 3:1-2 – “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Matthew 6:9-10 – “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Ambassadors – “an accredited diplomat sent by a country as its official representative to a foreign country.”

Eph 6:20, 2 Cor 5:20

What does this perspective do?

It realigns our priorities
It resizes our problems

It realigns our priorities

Our focus should be on the resurrection, looking forward to eternity. Jesus should be THE PRIORITY that aligns all other priorities in our lives. When we live in the light of eternity, our priorities become more in line with God's.

1 Corinthians 15:32 (NLT) – “And what value was there in fighting wild beasts—those people of Ephesus[a]—if there will be no resurrection from the dead? And if there is no resurrection, “Let’s feast and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

Pastor John Wesley – “I judge all things only by the price they shall gain in eternity.

It resizes our problems

Jn 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Pray, fast, worship, spend time in the Word, serve, be still.

2 Corinthians 4:14, 16-18 –…”we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself….16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

Psalm 39:4 – “Show me, LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.”

2030: Worship

Let's Talk about Worship

---

Worship it's not just a song, but our whole lives.

Matthew 6:33 (NIV)
33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Isaiah 6:1–8 (NIV)
1In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.
2Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.
3And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” 4At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 5“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”
6Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” 8Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

WORSHIP IS OUR WHOLE LIFE RESPONSE TO THE GLORY OF GOD.

We can't encounter the glory of God without realizing our sin.

1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV)
31So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

2 Samuel 6:12–16 (NIV)
12Now King David was told, “The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God.” So David went to bring up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing.
13When those who were carrying the ark of the LORD had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf.
14Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the LORD with all his might,
15while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets.
16As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart.

2 Chronicles 20:1–4 (NIV)
1After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to wage war against Jehoshaphat.
2Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Dead Sea. It is already in Hazezon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi).
3Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah.
4The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.

2 Chronicles 20:12 (NIV)
12Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

2 Chronicles 20:13–18 (NIV)
13All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the LORD.
14Then the Spirit of the LORD came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.
15He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.
16Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel.
17You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’ ”
18Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD.

Mark 5:1–6 (NIV)
1They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.
2When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him.
3This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain.
4For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him.
5Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
6When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him.

Mark 5:6 (NKJV)
6When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.

Mark 5:15 (NIV)
15When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.

- 2 Chron 20:18, they were worshipping when they were still fully surrounded.
- If we deny something good about God, we imply something bad about him. -Matt Redmon
- Mk 5, this man was alone and scared and wanted to hurt himself, just like many of us. When he saw Jesus, he ran and worshipped Him.

2030: Fasting

Fasting

Psalm 63:1–5 (NIV)
1You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.
2I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.
3Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.
4I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

What if we sought God like we seek food.

FASTING: VOLUNTARILY GIVING UP FOOD FOR SPIRITUAL PURPOSES.

FASTING IS AN expectation.

Matthew 6:16–18 (NIV)
16“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,
18so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

FASTING IS NOT A WAY TO LOOK SPIRITUAL.

Luke 18:9–14 (NIV)
9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable:
10“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.
12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Isaiah 58 (NIV)
1“Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.
2For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them.
3‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’ “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers.
4Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.
5Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD?
6“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
7Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
9Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.
11The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
12Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
13“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
14then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.” For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

There is a connection between the vertical (our relationship with God) and the horizontal (care for others). God wants us to seek Him because we want to know Him, not because we want something from Him. God will restore that which has been broken.

FASTING IS NOT A WAY TO manipulate GOD.

FASTING WILL change US

This is the end result of fasting. It helps us remember that it's not about us, it's about Him.

FASTING IS ABOUT humbling OURSELVES BEFORE GOD

FASTING IS ABOUT hearing FROM GOD

FASTING IS A KEY TO RELEASING THE supernatural power OF GOD.

We need the supernatural life changing power of God in our midst.

2 Chronicles 20:2–4 (NIV)
2Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Dead Sea. It is already in Hazezon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi).
3Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah.
4The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.

2 Chronicles 20:21–24 (NIV)
21After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever.”
22As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.
23The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.
24When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped.

HOW TO FAST.

START small

DETERMINE THE length

DETERMINE YOUR purpose

EXPECT TO struggle

WITHDRAW

END easy

1 Peter 5:6–10 (NIV)
6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
8Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
10And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

2030 Servanthood

We are spiritual contributors, not just spiritual consumers.

We are very good at consuming and being served. Our mindset of being served even spills over to church.

Why is becoming a spiritual contributor so important?

1. Because it's not about you. Col 1:16; 2 Cor 5:15; Jn 6:26. Don't go after Jesus just because we want things from him. How do I view who Jesus is? Savior? Lord? Jesus as Lord reorients our lives.

2. Because God uses it to capture the hearts of others. Mt 5:16; 1 Pet 2:12. It's so easy to only focus on the dark parts of the world, instead of focusing on how bright the light can shine in the dark.

How do we move to bring a spiritual contributor?

1. We lean into the one who first served us. Mk 10:45

2. We jump in and start using our gifts. 1 Pet 4:10 use or gifts to serve others.

- How is your time in the Word?

- Do you have unrepentant sins?

- What is your community like?

- How are you serving others?

Our mission is to change the world, not fill a church. 

Jn 13:15 Jesus washes the disciples feet, he is a true servant and set an example for us.

This Is Us: We are spiritual contributors, not spiritual consumers

We are spiritual contributors, not just spiritual consumers.

We are very good at consuming and being served. Our mindset of being served even spills over to church.

Why is becoming a spiritual contributor so important?

1. Because it's not about you. Col 1:16; 2 Cor 5:15; Jn 6:26. Don't go after Jesus just because we want things from him. How do I view who Jesus is? Savior? Lord? Jesus as Lord reorients our lives.

2. Because God uses it to capture the hearts of others. Mt 5:16; 1 Pet 2:12. It's so easy to only focus on the dark parts of the world, instead of focusing on how bright the light can shine in the dark.

How do we move to bring a spiritual contributor?

1. We lean into the one who first served us. Mk 10:45

2. We jump in and start using our gifts. 1 Pet 4:10 use or gifts to serve others.

- How is your time in the Word?

- Do you have unrepentant sins?

- What is your community like?

- How are you serving others?

Our mission is to change the world, not fill a church. 

Jn 13:15 Jesus washes the disciples feet, he is a true servant and set an example for us.

2030 Hearing the Voice of God

Ex 3:1-4

God still speaks in our lives today.

Jn 10:27 "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me."

1. We can be in relationship with God. Hearing the voice of God begins in a relationship with God.

2 We can know the voice of God. God wants to have a relationship with us and talk with us. How does this work?

- the Holy Spirit takes up residence in us. Jn 14:15-17, 25-26; 1 Cor 2:14

- the best way to know and hear God's voice is to get in the Word of God (for myself, not just from others), so I can mature. 1 Cor 3:1-2. God's voice always lines up with His Word. The more time I spend in God's word allowing God's voice to speak to me, the more my voice begins to sound like God's voice.

3. We can trust the voice of God. God knows us intimately. Ps 139

4. We must obey the voice of God. It may be scary at times, but He knows us and will only do things for our own good.

5. God whispers so we can shout!

2030 Who Will You Be?

1. Long term consistency is always better than short term intensity.

Heb 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Endurance - steadfastness, perseverance, consistency. 

We overestimate what we can do in the short term, and underestimate what we can do in the long term.

2. The ways that I let in, are the ways that I am set in. Who I will be in 2030, will be an exaggerated version of who I am now. Allow God to change me. Time will not change who you are, it will only reveal who you are.

If you don't like where you are headed, you can change your direction. Start making different decisions now. "One gets to the place one wants to be the same way one got to the place one didn't want to be."