It's a new year.....time for resolutions
Church attendance is up....people resolve to change their lives
Wesley asked his pastor to commit and recommit to the services of God
Wesley covenant service
What if on the 1st Sunday of 2008----We were able to ralk about something that would change your Christian life....
Is you life with you worries and desires
Are you open to living your life with Christ?
New Orleans.......
Matthew 28
So much to say.......
Went to church at Mount Zion
Sanctuary strom damaged, church in fellowship hall
Little envelope to help the homeless at salvation army
These people could be totally consumed with self.
Living outside of ones self
The good samaritian fund
The joy of going on a mission trip
It teaches us to live outside of oneself.
The point for me, really is not how far we go, but that the experience "disrupts" the comfortable nature of our lives.
Something should disrupt our lives.....
Our lives are too comfortable
We think we deserve our lives. We don't
We think we have a right to what we have. We don't
We pull into our garages, push the button to close the door and walk into our comfortable homes.
Is this what you are looking forward to in 2008?
The rich fool...Luke12
Life is a gift from God
Christian like is not rooted in doing religious things
Certainly not in following our self will
The Christian like is rooted in the question... God, what should I do?
Paul.....was on a mission trip
Cared about what God wanted him to do
Paul asked...we don't always
Asks the question.....Lord where should we go
How do you know? The spirit says "no"
They are asking the questions...God what is it....
the spirit says "no"
Paul cared about the answer....we don't
Then they listen and follow....
I am sorry we are not open to "no"
Any thought that we think we like, we invent a god who tells us that is okay
Listening-big voice, little voice....not for an audible voice, but for the voice of God in common moments
We wait for that big audible voice or that knock me over voice and we pay no attention to the voice of God in common sense.
You see something that you like. You want it. You can take it and no one would know. Waiting for God to speak? He already has. What does God say? Thou shall not steal.
You have the bug for a new car. You tell yourself that God wants his people to have nice things. Yo give five reason why you deserve it. Sure it will put you in lots of debt with a big payment. It will stress your ability to do good in the name of the Lord. You are waiting for God to speak. He already has. What does he say? Seek ye first the kingdom of God.
I am asking you to live this year as those who are listening....
should I spend my family in to trouble?
should I wound those who wound me?
should I help the poor?
should I help the poor more than I was thinking I should?
What should I really be doing?
Changing your life paradigms
Learning to be thankful
Learning to be a steward
Learning to walk with God
Would you be willing to let your life be disrupted for the purpose of Christ?
Would you leave your comfort zone?
Not just once, but enter a pattern of putting yourselves at the disposal of God
To this let us be committed
Communion
I am not longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee,
exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
Thou art mine, and I am thine.
So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth.
let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.
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