Walking in the Spirit! - Gal 5:25

Walking in the Spirit!

July 31, 2011

Galatians 5:25

Introduction

• Last Friday afternoon around 4pm, I felt a desire to visit the evening service at Bethel in Redding
• We got away late, there were traffic holdups, but eventually we arrived
• As we arrived in the foyer, I saw a very close friend of ours walking toward me.
• He said he had just felt the Holy Spirit nudge him to go out of the service and meet someone in the foyer!
• Wow! So we went and sat with them in the service
• There was an invitation for people who wanted to be baptized
• Jon, his wife and two of their boys wanted to be rebaptized, as they were at a crucial juncture in their lives
• We were able to be there with them as they took this awesome step, they were far away from their family and friends in LA!
• What got to me was that God planned this whole thing! This was not a question of asking for direction, God just sovereignly orchestrated this meeting, to make this event as full and joyful as could be!
• It required both Jon and me listening to the Spirit and being obedient, for all the connections to work
• The Bible talks about walking in the Spirit
• This morning we will be talking about what walking in the spirit looks like, personally

Walk in obedience

• Galatians 5:16-25
• Verse17
• There is a battle going on in our mind
• Romans 7:21-25
• So the apostle Paul, great Chrsitain as he was, still had this battle going on in his mind
• So we too have this battle
• The flesh in us wants to do the wrong thing
• But with our mind we want to do the right thing, in obedience to God
• We work to overcome some besetting sin, and at some point we think it is gone
• But when we let down our guard, it is right there, wanting to cause trouble again
• The Christian's life is a constant battle
• But God's intention is that we overcome it!
• Example of Cain and Abel
• Gen 4:1-7
• Unfortunately Cain did not master sin, but killed his brother instead
• God intends for us to be overcomers
• Rev 2-3 - the letters to the various churches usually end with "to him who overcomes ...."
• God does not desire children who just give in to every temptation that comes their way.
• He desires people who take hold of the temptation and turn their backs on it

Overcome temptation

• We are all going to be tempted
• Temptation is a part of this life
• We are tempted by our flesh, by society, and by the devil
• If we want a real, committed walk with Jesus, we will walk in the Spirit and overcome the temptation
• What happens when we are tempted?
• James 1:13-15
• The battle is in our head!
• The sin is not in being tempted, the sin is in allowing the temptation to dwell in our thoughts, until we finally give in to it
• So when we are tempted to do the wrong thing, get rid of that thought, fill your mind with good things, as opposed to the temptation
• Phil 4:8
• God expects us to be overcomers
• Jesus overcame the enemy, so must we!

Live in step with the Spirit

• Did you notice in this section of scripture, Paul does not refer to the old testament law?
• He does not remind them about "Thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not lie"
• He tells us that we are not under the law
• The law was a tutor or babysitter, until we came to faith (Gal 3:24)
• It was a legal code we had to live by.
• But when Jesus comes into our life, we are not led by the law, but by the Spirit
• Gal 5:18
• The law and the Spirit walk in step, hand in hand
• So the Spirit will never lead us to disobey the Old Testament law
• But we have a higher call than merely to not kill or steal
• We have been called to live a life of love for God and love for our fellow man
• The Holy Spirit is our guide along this journey
• He speaks to us, nudges us, convicts us, whatever is needed, to help us stay on the straight and narrow
• He convicts us of sin, he reminds us when we are being tempted, and he helps us to overcome and replace that temptation with God's way of doing things
• This is why it is so important that we learn to listen to God's voice
• If we are deaf to what God is saying, we are merely living a legalistic life
• Walk in the spirit means just that, we are walking with our Companion, Comforter, Helper, our personal Paraclete!

Conclusion

• So as we grow up spiritually, we are going to be listening more and more to what the Spirit is saying to us.
• We will be responding in obedience
• We will be discerning that it is not the temptation speaking, but that it is God leading us in the paths of righteousness
• Allow the Holy Spirit to speak in your life, and be obedient to Him

A Decision or a Commitment? - Romans 12:1-2

A Decision or a Commitment?
July 24, 2011
Romans 12:1-2

Introduction

• When I was in my teens and 20's I took up cross country running
• I was the top cross country runner at my high school, I was second in our zone, and I came in 26th in the state cross country championship
• There are a lot of comparisons that can be drawn between running a race and the Christian journey
• Paul uses this analogy a number of times in his writings and letters
• There comes a point in every race where the competitor commits to finishing the race
• Until then, he has made a decision to run the race, but a deeper level of commitment comes along the journey.
• Romans 12:1 Living sacrifices
• Today we are going to talk about our Christian journey - is it a decision we made or have we made a commitment?

Our decision for Christ

• Eph 2:1-5
• There was a time in our lives when we had not made the decision to allow Jesus to be out Lord and Savior
• We lived just as the world around us live, we fitted in with society, and did the things society led us to do
• By God's grace, he led us to accept salvation through Jesus
• Do you remember that day?
• It was a day when we experienced the relief of our sins being forgive, the guilt rolling off our back, and hope entering our lives through God's love
• Wasn't it awesome?
• Remember what it was like in the days before this
• It was probably a time of struggle, a time of wrestling with a decision we knew we had to make
• But when we finally answered that call to cross the line to obedience, it was such a relief!

The journey is not easy

• Jesus tells us in John 10:10 that he came so that we may have life, and have it to the full
• This is awesome, and is a great encouragement to us
• But don't take these words out of context
• He is comparing the Good Shepherd to the thief who kills steals and destroys
• Jesus also tells us that the Christian life is not going to be easy street
• Matt 5:11-12
• The prophets too, were not popular, and some of them died for their faith
• Hebrews 11
• Paul speaks of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Rahab, and then he lists a large group of servants of God, who experienced pain in the course of their ministry
• Verse 32-40
• These people had accepted their call, in other words, they decided to obey God's mission for their lives
• But they were committed to it as well, and persevered to the end
• It's not the person who starts the race fast, who necessarily wins the race, and receives commendation
• It is he who finishes the race
• These prophets had committed to completing their assignment, their journey
• We too have made a decision to be obedient to God
• But it is in the actions of our daily lives that we make a commitment to finish the job
• God does not want weaklings in his family
• Matt 11:12
• God is looking for forceful people, who have made a commitment and who will never surrender, who will advance his Kingdom

Commitment is a way of life

• Commitment is not something you decide to do one day
• Commitment is a lifestyle
• It affects everything you do
• When we marry, is it a decision or a commitment?
• The percentage of people who divorce, is just as high among Christians as it is in society
• This should not be so!
• When we make our wedding vows, they are for life! God hates divorce
• There are some exceptions given, certain situations when divorce is permissible
• But God never intended us to divorce
• A marriage is a sacred thing. It is worth fighting for. When the flame of love has died down, rekindle it, work at it.
• But this takes commitment
• When a job is not fun any more is it a time to leave and find a new one, or is it a time to grit our teeth and make something of it?
• When we have found the place God wants us to be in the body, do we commit to it, saying "this is where I belong, this is where God wants me to fellowship, and where he wants me to tithe, support, help out, serve, and help the Kingdom grow"?
• Commitment is a lifestyle
• He does not like people who are half-hearted in their obedience to his calling
• Rev 3:16
• It is committed people God looks for

Conclusion

• So let's examine ourselves
• Are we committed Christians, or merely people who made a decision years ago but have not really followed through on that decision?
• God doesn't tell the Laodiceans they are no-hopers
• Instead, he says to them to change their ways
• Verses 17-19
• Examine your life today
• We started talking about a cross country race
• Are you a committed Christian?
• Are you running a race that you will finish?
• Are you committed in your total lifestyle?

Prayer

Recognizing God's Voice - John 10:4-5

Recognizing God's Voice
July 17, 2011
John 10:4-5

Introduction

- During the last two sermons we have looked at Bible teachings and we have seen that God is a God who speaks
- Last week we also looked at ways in which God speaks to us
- Through the Word, in our thoughts, through other people, through circumstances
- TESTIMONIES
- Today we will examine how we can know when it is God speaking, or alternatively it could be our own thoughts, or the enemy

1. Be obedient to what God says

- James 1:22
- God tells us that along with hearing God's voice, there is accountability - we have to be obedient and do what he says
- God will not speak to us unless we are obedient to what he tells us
- When we are disobedient, we grieve the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:30)

2. Ways to test what we hear

- 1 John 4:1 - test what you hear - you don't want to believe lies
- a) It must be according to God's word
- Isa 8:20 - the word is the test
- b) It should draw us closer to Christ
- Phil 2:5 - Let this mind be in you which was in Jesus
- What Would Jesus Do? - Charles Sheldon
- c) It will fit our mix of spiritual gifts, personal talents and personality
- Eph 2:10 - God has a plan and purpose for us
- Num 23:19 - God does not lie
- d) Is the word convicting or condemning?
- God may chastise us verbally
- Hebrews 12:10-11
- Romans 8:1 - God does not condemn
- But he may convict us of some area of life in which we need to change
- e) Do other believers confirm it?
- Proverbs 19:20, 24:6 - get advice
- We need help when we are in new territory
- Ask for directions!
- f) We will have a sense of peace
- 1 Cor 14:33
- Confusion is not of God
- If the word is confusing to us, God did not give it to us
- John 14:27 - my peace I give to you

3. Listen for what God will speak to you

- Rev 2:29, 3:6, 13, 22
- "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches"
- We are going to spend some time listening to God
- Free to come forward to altar rail, or stay in seat
- Prayer for forgiveness, and open ears
- Lord speak to your people

Conclusion

- We can listen to God's voice
- He speaks to the global church
- He speaks to Grace Fellowship
- And he speaks to us personally
- Practice this, make it part of the way you live each day

Ways God speaks to us - 1 Kings 19:12

Ways God Speaks to Us

July 10, 2011

1 Kings 19:12

Introduction

• Helen Keller - lived during early 1900's, died 1968 - deaf and blind - not able to communicate - isolated - Ann Sullivan broke through and allowed young Helen to blossom as she learned to communicate
• We grow and develop mentally and emotionally through communication
• In growing up spiritually we also need communication, with God
• God speaks to us in different ways
• These are as varied as He is great!
• Today we are going to look at some of the ways in which God speaks to us

The Bible

• John 17:17 - Thy Word is truth
• Rev 19:13 - His name - the Word of God - spokesman, communicator
• James 1:21 - Logos
• Matt 4:4 - Rhema
• What sometimes blocks our understanding of the Bible
• Need to confront issues, not ignore or run away from them

Still small voice

• 1 Kings 19:12 - still small voice
• Matt 10:20 - the Spirit of your Father speaks
• John 16:13 - the Spirit will guide

Many ways

• Prophetic word
  • 1 Cor 14:1-5 - gift of prophecy
  • Acts 13:2 - Holy Spirit spoke - prophetic word, accepted by the church?
• Circumstances
  • Acts 16:7 - Paul stopped by circumstances
  • Rev 3:8 - open door - an open door to walk into God's destiny - revealed by circumstances
• Dreams and visions
  • Acts 16:9-10 - Macedonian call - a night vision
  • Matt 1:20 - angel of the Lord speaks to Joseph in a dream
  • You know the dream is special, and usually you know the meaning
• Nature
  • Psalm 19:1The heavens declare the glory of God
  • God's answer to prayer re candidating

Conclusion

• We have looked at a few of the ways God speaks to us
• But God is so great, he is not limited by a few ways to speak to us
• It is one thing to be listening for God's voice
• But we also need to know when we hear a voice, is it from God, is it from ourselves, or is it from the enemy
• Come back next week, because that is what we will be talking about in the next sermon

The God who speaks - John 10:1-10

The God Who Speaks

June 26, 2011

John 10:1-10, 14

Introduction

• 1 John 3:1-3
• What incredible favor has been given to us
• That we should be made the children of God, God's adopted children
• A parent communicates with his children
• Often dads are the strong silent types
• But children need a dad who is speaking to them, who directs them, who guides them
• How can a parent comfort and encourage, without speaking to the child
• Our relationship with God is no different
• If we are God's children, we need His guidance, his comfort, his communication
• Now we know that God is a God who speaks
• He spoke to Adam, he spoke to Enoch who walked with God
• He spoke to Abraham, he spoke to Solomon, he spoke to David and the prophets
• Jesus came to earth as a human being and communicated with his followers
• The Holy Spirit spoke to the New Testament church
• Yet sometimes we seem to have difficulty in having two way communication with God
• Today we are going to discuss a chapter where Jesus tells us about his communication with us
• John 10:1-10, 14

One entrance, one shepherd - verse 1-2, 7-9

• People like to do things on their own terms
• But Jesus tells us that there is only one entrance into the fold
• John 14:6
• There is only one way to have a relationship with God
• That is through Jesus
• This means, unless I accept Jesus as my Lord and my Savior, I cannot expect to hear God's voice
• The reason is that our sins separate us from God - Isa 59:2
• Thankfully, God sent Jesus so that our sins could be forgiven and we could have a fresh start in life
• John 3:16
• So Jesus is the only way to have relationship with God
• There is only one entrance, and one shepherd

The shepherd knows his sheep - verse 3, 14

• In recent weeks we have been examining different aspects of our identity as a Christian
• We have learned how close Jesus wants to be with us
• Eph 2:6
• John 14:20
• When we have such an intimate relationship with Jesus, it is impossible that he not know us
• Like a shepherd with his sheep
• He knows everything about them
• Like when my dog had a sore paw
• I cared for him on a day to day basis
• I knew when he was hurting, when he was hungry
• Our shepherd Jesus, knows his sheep

The sheep know the shepherd's voice - verse 4

• The reason the sheep follow the shepherd is that they know his voice
• They trust him
• There is nothing they wouldnt do for him
• they follow him
• they dont go off looking for their own way to do things
• the shepherd shows the way to go, by leading the way
• all the sheep have to do is follow where he is going
• where you go Ill go
• It is possible to recognize the shepherds voice
• he will not take us places that are bad for us
• we need to be obedient to where he sends us
• the sheep knows the shepherd's voice

The sheep avoid strangers - verse 5, 8

• The sheep hear other voices too
• but they dont recognize them as something they want to follow
• they only want to follow the shepherd';s voice
• the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy
• the thief is the arch deceiver
• Rev 12:9 - he deceives the whole world
• the sheep know Jesus voice, and recognize the difference
• The Holy Spirit guides us into all truth - Jn 14:13
• He is the one who shows us what is of Jesus and what is not
• but it takes closeness with God to be sensitive to what He is saying to us
• The Holy Spirit is sensitive
• But how often dont we grieve the Holy Spirit
• Jesus sheep, children of God, stay away from the stranger's siren song
• we want to only hear Jesus' voice

The shepherd cares for his sheep - verses 9-11

• Proverbs - the blessing of the Lord makes rich, he adds no sorrow with it
• when we listen to God's voice, and are obedient, the results will be good
• because the shepherd looks after his sheep
• he wont take them into a swamp, or desert, he will feed them and give them al;l they need
• One of the most important things he gives us is that he communicates with us and speaks to us
• This is how he guides us and comforts us and occasionally corrects us
• So the shepherd cares for his sheep

Conclusion

• God is a God who speaks to us, all the time
• He speaks to us in many different ways
• But it is the same voice that comes through, whatever is being said
• As we grow up as Christians, we will learn to exercise discernment and know his voice
• In my next sermon I will talk more about recognizing God's voice
• But in the meantime know this, that he is speaking to you, because he cares for you and wants to lead you to good pasture

Let Your Fire Fall - Acts 2:3

Let Your Fire Fall

June 12, 2011 - Pentecost

Acts 2:3

Introduction

• Today is Pentecost Sunday
• 2000 years ago an event happened which turned the religious world on its head
• The disciples were assembled in an upper room, where they had been praying for the coming of the promise
• 10 days before the resurrected Jesus had told them to wait in Jerusalem to be baptized with the Holy Spirit
• He told them that when this happened, they would receive power, and that they would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth
• Let's read it
• Acts 1:4-8
• The disciples continued to pray
• They selected a successor to Judas Iscariot, and chose Matthias, so the number of apostles was once again 12
• And they continued to pray

The disciples were together, keeping Pentecost

• Acts 2:1-4
• They were all together in one place
• First of all, it was Pentecost
• This was one of the holydays described in Leviticus 23
• Pentecost is a Greek word which means Count Fifty
• During the days of unleavened bread the Israelites were to bring a wave sheaf offering to the priests, to be offered before God
• This was rougly at the time of Easter
• This wave sheaf was the first stalks of barley to be harvested in the spring harvest
• From the day that they offered this before the Lord, they were to count 7 weeks or fortynine days, and then it says on the day after they finished counting the 7 weeks, in other words the fiftieth day, they were to keep the feast of weeks or Shavuot
• So Pentecost means count fifty, and it always lands on a Sunday
• Pentecost was unique in God's festivals in that it had to be counted out.
• On that day there was an assembly of the church
• So the disciples were all together in one place, observing Pentecost

The disciples were together, praying

• There was unity among them
• One was not thinking, I'm going back to see mom
• Mat 6:33
• Another was not thinking, I don't want to be here with Peter
• Psalm 133
• There was a unity of purpose, they were all praying for the promise to come, the baptism of the Holy Spirit
• Acts 1:14

The disciples were together, obedient to what God had said

• Acts 1:4-5
• Jesus tells them to do something and they did it
• Are we obedient to every word the Lord tells us?
• It was said of Samuel the prophet he let none of the Lord's words fall to the ground - 1 Sam 3:19

Revival

• This last week I have been reading about revival here in the US, starting with Stoddard back in 1672
• I want revival in my own life
• I want revival in this church
• and I want revival in this town
• As I read through this book I noticed a number of things
• Each of these awakeners was sold out, not afraid of consequences, and had a hunger to do what the Lord had laid on their heart
• I am convinced that most all of us have had fire in our bones at some time
• But often we are not obedient to what God says, and we grieve the Holy Spirit
• As we grieve the Holy Spirit, it creates distance between us
• Today we are contending for that fire to return
• We want to return to an obedient walk with God
• We want to do the things we have neglected
• Maybe we are like the church at Ephesus which left its first love
• But we can rebuild what was lost
• Like a marriage
• A marriage can grow cold by not doing the things that make for a vibrant marriage
• But it can also be rebuilt, starting by getting back to the things we did when we were first in love
• So let's turn back to the hunger for God that we had at the beginning, and new life will come into our walk with God

I am accepted! - Eph 1:6

I am accepted!

June 5, 2011

Ephesians 1:6

Introduction

• Keith Hernandez is one of baseball's top players. He is a lifetime 300 hitter who has won numerous Golden Glove awards for excellence in fielding.
• He's won a batting championship for having the highest average, the Most Valuable Player award in his league, and even the World Series.
• Yet with all his accomplishments, he has missed out on something crucially important to him -- his father's acceptance and recognition that what he has accomplished is valuable.
• Listen to what he had to say in a very candid interview about his relationship with his father:
• "One day Keith asked his father, 'Dad, I have a lifetime 300 batting average. What more do you want?'
• His father replied, 'But someday you're going to look back and say, "I could have done more."

• How many of us can relate to this story
• Today we are going to see what the Bible tells us about our worth as a person, individually

Early Days and Life

• Often we grow up in families which do not value us as a person
• It may be our Mom, it may be our Dad, it may be someone else
• But as we grow up we are being molded into the person we will be as an adult
• The things that are said to us have huge impact, particularly in the early years
• As we grow up, we start working and other people start to make comments about us
• These comments often relate to the things we have done and accomplished
• I had a boss who praised me for good accomplishments, and this was a big help for me
• He also told me when I needed to improve a report I had written, but without putting me down
• So in life, we can have both positive and negative influences
• We see ourselves in terms of what has been said of us

The flaw

• The things that are said of us vary, depending on who is saying what
• So on Monday someone may praise us for an accomplishment, while on Tuesday we may be criticized
• When we see ourselves based on our performance, our self-image will change depending on what we have been told
• This means that the way we see ourselves is constantly changing, our feelings are fickle
• This is not the kind of foundation we need for our life.
• Jesus tells us that he is the Rock on which he would build his church
• David talks of God as being his rock, his shelter
• Paul talks about us being built as a temple for God, on the foundation of Jesus
• So God does not want us to be ever-changing in the way we see ourselves
• He wants us to have a solid basis, a real foundation for our life

How does God see us?

• Is God continually looking at how we are measuring up to certain standards?
• Does this change from day to day depending on how well we have done in following Him?
• Ephesians 1:5-6 "Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
• "To the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he made us accepted in the Beloved"
• Paul is telling us that the Father specifically chose us to be his children! He did this according to his will, he was not forced into it by any set of circumstances
• It is by his grace that we have been made "accepted in the Beloved"
• The Beloved in the context here, refers to Jesus
• So we have been accepted in Jesus
• The word used for accepted here, is Charito-o
• This means "to be highly favored, to make accepted, to make graceful, charming, lovely, agreeable, to pursue with grace, to compass or surround with favor, to honor with blessings"
• This is the way God sees us
• Notice, the word means to MAKE accepted
• It is God who does this work, we are his workmanship, as Paul says in verse 10
• God makes us accepted, he favors us, he surrounds us with honor and blessing
• This is how God sees us.

Performance or Being?

• God sees us not as the person who skimped on his prayer time yesterday
• He doesn't particularly look at our spiritual accomplishments either
• Because all our personal accomplishments are to him like filthy rags - Isaiah 64:6
• He doesn't put us down by saying this, it's just that whatever we do will never measure up!
• Instead of our standing with God depending on our performance, God makes us into someone he loves, cherishes, honors, favors
• It is no longer dependent on how we perform
• Instead, it relates to the person God has made us to be
• In Jesus, we have received grace, and are sinless before Him
• How can this be?
• It is because God sees Jesus in us, and Jesus is the One to whom we have surrendered
• And God says in him there is no shadow of turning - James 1:17
• The process is that we are made acceptable - as a result we desire to walk worthy of our calling
• This is pure grace
• All comes from God - He draws us to Him, His goodness leads us to repentance, and then He makes us acceptable
• The process is NOT that we walk worthy of our calling, and then God makes us acceptable
• This would mean our being made acceptable is conditional on our performance, which is a form of works rather than grace

We are worthy

• So God has made us acceptable
• He has made us worthy
• It is not dependent on our performance
• It is solely dependent on grace
• God has made us worthy to have fellowship with Him -
• 1 Jn 1:3

Communion/Last Supper

• 1 Cor 11
• It is this grace that makes us worthy to share in communion
• Not anything we have done