Do you see what I see? - Col 1:22-23

Do you see what I see?

Youth Pastor - Brandon BJ Johnson

January 22, 2012

Col 1:22-23

(Pastor's notes)

Opening comments

• Excitement in my heart
• Everything comes back to Jesus
• Unity in the body, is so important
• Gen 11 - tower of Babel - when we are one, nothing will be impossible

Introduction

• Do you see what I see?
• Showed slides closeup, and from a distance, illustrating the need for perspective
• Need to step back and see the whole picture
• We are on a journey with mentors, in the church, and in the Bible

Job

• Job 1 - God allowed Satan to take all Job's goods
• Verse 21 - Job's response - You give and take away, blessed be the name of the Lord
• Our perspective changes with the situation
• Job did not lose his perspective
• Knowing God is better than knowing the answers
• Satan took all his goods, then his health as well
• Job 2:10 - even when the closest person to him, told him wrong, he did not lose sight of God
• Verse 12 - initially Job's friends were genuine, they were just there for him
• Job 4:8 - as time went on they started accusing Job
• But Job was blameless
• Do we trust that God will work it out?
• Because he trusted God, God brought the experience to a good conclusion
• Job 43:12 - God blessed Job more than he had had before this all happened
• The ending was better than the beginning

Judas

• Judas walked with Christ - he had big responsibility, over the finances
• He saw all that happened, and yet he betrays Jesus
• Judas had a choice
• John 12:4 - Judas put himself into a position where he was able to be manipulated by the enemy
• We need to guard ourselves and check our motives
• It's all about the heart
• God loves everyone
• We need to allow God to do His thing
• Our model is John the Baptist - He must be greater, I must be less

David

• 1 Samuel 18 - what David saw, versus what God saw
• Verse 7 - Saul feels David is hurting or damaging him, and pursues David
• David hides in a cave
• Sometimes we run into caves instead of interacting with others
• 1 Sam 24:6-7 - Saul was God's anointed, David does not take matters into his own hands
• 1 Sam 26:9 - it's all about God's timing
• Then we have the story about Bathsheba
• David's perspective changed
• 2 Sam 11 - David knew he was wrong
• But he tried to justify himself first
• God was his last resort, not the first!

Conclusion

• Repent and come to me, if your issue relates to yesterday or 10 years ago
• Issues weigh heavy on us
• Cast all your cares upon him
• Change the perspective on your life
• Col 1:22-23 - God wants us to be without blemish, without accusation
• Repentance is a change of heart
• David longed to be holy
• I want that too, a pure heart