Sorry for the delay in posting! It’s been a crazy beginning to the summer. The One Prayer Series has been phenomenal! We are so excited about joining with so many believers across the Globe to make deeper discoveris about who God is!
Join us this week! Find out more at www.oneprayer.com! Bring your tennis shoes cause we are going to rock out some kick ball this week following the service!
Love Ya’ll
Scott
The Essential Expectation
Week 1 – Personal Decision to make
- Prioritize Christ – The Gospel
- See from Paul’s Perspective – It’s about Jesus – Advancing the Gospel not Ourselves
Week 2 – Things are different for those of us who make the decision to follow Christ
- God is different than the way He gets portrayed
- God picks different people than people assume He should
- We should live differently
We’ve discussed the Corinthian Church had some problems
There is a certain way things are supposed to look and function
- Ever looked at something and said, “That’s Just Wrong!”
- Like the Lingerie Football League
- God EXPECTS his church to look and function in a certain way
Chapter 5 – addresses sexual immorality in the church
- Watch how you live and what influences you
Chapter 6 – addresses lawsuits among believers
- Godliness is our standard
Chapter 7 – addresses Marriage and Priority of God’s work
- Keep things in the right order of priority
Chapter 8 – addresses eating food used in pagan worship
- Live to inspire growth in others not cause problems in weak believers
The Essential Expectation of the Church ~ How Should We Live? Chapter 10:31-33
Background – Corinth much like America today
God is looking for transformation and transformation is found in following Christ
God does things different
- God is beyond human and cannot be judged by human standards
- God is working out a huge plan that goes beyond human understanding
- The world says hit them back – God says turn the other check
- The world says be number one – God says be everyone’s servant
- The world says you are good and can do it all by yourself – God says you’re sinful and cannot make it alone
It only makes sense then that God’s way – the message of the cross – makes no sense to those who don’t believe in God’s way (who are truly being transformed) . 1 Corinthians 1:18
There are religious people everywhere in this country
Wife Swap – The ultra Religious family, the Modern feminized family –
- both believe they’re life is the correct way to live.
- Religious misses the point of the things they say they follow
- The other is operating completely out of selfish gain
- Neither made sense to the other and both missed the mark and were causing damage
1 Corinthians 1:20 – 25
Paul asks, “where is the wise man?” – People cannot know God through their own wisdom.
- The Jews practiced all of the rules and did everything right – Just hurt people
- The Greeks were looking to enlighten themselves through wisdom and serve their own ends
1 Corinthians 1:26
God doesn’t choose by human standards – We will never measure up – someone always has more
God works out of His great love and mercy and chooses people like me and you
- Not wise, influential, not royalty
- He chooses the unlikely, the foolish, the poor, and the weak
- SO THAT NO ONE WILL BOAST IN THEMSELVES – GOD IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN SAVE AND TRANSFORM
We are to be different
Healthy, work out people. Takes a level of commitment and desire that is beyond me.
- 5 am at the Gym
- Shakes made out of bananas, wheat, spinach, apples, and peanut butter
- Running miles at a time when they aren’t being chased by a rabid animal
They are different, but they understand something that results in a lifestyle
We are told to be holy, we are strangers in a strange land, it even says we are a peculiar people
If we understand that doing things God’s way will produce transformation in us and in those around us, then it makes sense to begin to live the life He’s called us to.
We cannot have it His way and ours. They aren’t compatible.
You can’t be selflessly selfish. You can’t be the servant of all and the attention hog at the same time.
You can’t be the work out person and still be the junk food eating, unhealthy living person and be a true representation of what you say you are.
Your life has to be built on Christ – 1 Corinthians 3:11 – Your foundation in life starts with Christ. That will shape whatever your build on top of it.
We are to be different. We have to stop trying to have it both ways. We cannot build our lives was the rest of the world builds and expect our lives to stand.
Be sure and take time to listen to the first messages in this series! Scott Dailey was our guest speaker and did a fantastic job!
Listen: Essential Week One
Pracitce
Who are you? What defines you?
Who we are is defined by what we believe and what we do. If we are Christians, then our worldview is defined by knowing Christ and our behavior is defined by knowing Christ.
Jesus said “If you love me you will keep my commands” John 14:15
New Command that Christ Gave – Luke 10:27 “Love God – Love People” Not just the 10 commandments
It’s more than acting right. Jesus is after our hearts. Behavior or practices is a product of the heart’s condition
Rich young ruler. “He says, I’ve done all those . . .” Jesus said care for people – sell your stuff (Love God Love people)
God always Leads – Leaders Go First – So He came and loved us with all laying his life down (While we were yet sinners Christ died for us and Washing feet episode) He did these things because He loved us.
When we decide to become followers of Jesus (One who comes after and is becoming like) We Believe – Take Him at His word and live like it. It defines our world because we love Him.
Before Jesus came – the disciples were fishermen and tax collectors
After they had fallen in love with Jesus and walked with Him . . . we see these guys developing lives that new practices.
They didn’t do these things to impress or obey God, they did them because they loved God.
Practices follow and flow out of relationship and subsequently deepen our relationship
Acts 20:1 – Be community with God and each other – Relationships
1 Corinthians 12 – Meet each other’s needs – Spiritual Gifts and Mutual Minisitry
Hebrews 12:17 – Accountability
Colossians 3:17 – Whatever you do . . . – It’s all about Him when you come to know Him
Belief
Do You Know What YOU Believe?
Not what others say you should believe, but have you owned it for yourself?
It doesn’t seem that Simple does it?
Tonight – Looking at establishing correct and concrete belief – It’s not as complicated as you think
Next week – We’re going to look at how we practice what we believe
According to some research estimates around 809,000,000 people have died in religious wars.
The counting is hazy due to the fact that people haven’t kept completely accurate counts of deaths over thousands of years.
Regardless, there are conflicting beliefs out there. There is a fight out there and you need to establish for yourself what you are fighting for. If you don’t stand on anything or stand for the wrong things you will find yourself in a lot of trouble because it is a fight.
As Christians, we stand on what the Bible says. That is the certain belief that we hold to.
There are conflicting ideas between Christianity and the World:
• John 3:16-21
There are conflicting ideas with Christianity and those pretending to be Christians
• Jude 1:3-4
Belief is not something we just hold on to or think in our minds
I was a mess and could not save myself.
I am not worth anymore than anyone else.
But I am worth everything to God.
No matter how difficult things are, I have hope.
We know that this “Hope” held out in the Gospel is to be followed “or not moved away from
It protects us
It frees us
People are always looking for proof. They want security and assurances before they jump in.
There are significant archeological evidences for Scriptural places and people.
However, in the end knowledge alone is not enough. If it were, then smart people would not have a need for significance.
In the end the adage holds true: Believing is Seeing.
When we choose and follow a world view it works it work. Shaping our outcomes, mindsets, and behavior.
Romans 10:9, 10 – Believe and Confess. Choose and Live
So where do we start?
Read the Book of John and learn the life of Jesus
Scripture is our basis 2 Timothy 3:1-17
There aren’t a lot of hoops to jump through. It is Simply, knowing and following Jesus according to Scripture, and allowing Him to transform our lives.
Don’t forget that starting this Sunday, April 19th ethos will begin at 6:30 PM. This is a permanent change! So mark your calendars and watches. We will see you this week!
We Want It Now
Nothing in my house sets off a whine with the kids like the phrase, “not right now”
We are impatient people. We want things the way we want them and we want them now!
Fast Food Concept. It’s broken.
We’re fooled that we can get real quality and get it quick. We don’t have enough space in our lives for the truly valuable and beautiful anymore.
The greatest lessons in life are in the times of waiting. We learn the true value of things when we have to wait for them.
Enemy is robbing people of these things by creating a frenzied life of have it all now. People not waiting for marriage. Treating valuable things like garbage because we didn’t pay the price for them.
2 types of people that we can learn from
1. People Who Do and Do Not Hear
a. You can do a lot of “godly things” and still not know Jesus
b. Busyness is not godliness
True relationship with God comes from knowing him. “My sheep know my voice”
This was Paul.
Acts 9:1,2 – He was a Jew having kept all the Law as he was supposed to. But he was wrong. He didn’t know God. He was doing the religious practice, but was missing the relationship/truth. “Who are you Lord?” He didn’t know.
He desperately needed to hear.
Acts 9:3-12 – God speaks to Paul. He gets a strong intervention from God.
You don’t want that. I believe God had been whispering and Paul wasn’t listening.
Jesus told Him to wait, Acts 9:5-6
Waiting isn’t just silence. It most often is a conversation. You need to talk to God. Paul did during His 3 days – Acts 3:11
Paul was praying for God’s instructions – waiting. God was sending an answer. Ananias.
If you are unsure what God wants. Then you need to pray and wait. You need a word from God.
2. People who HEAR but don’t DO
Our churches are full of these people. We sit and listen week after week. Hearing the challenges of scripture but never putting them into practice.
People fuss over the styles of music or the messages spoken and rely on the paid church people to do the work. But Jesus calls us higher.
Paul’s example.
Acts 9:16-20
What a call to ministry. Nothing glorious here. Suffer!
He hears from God and immediately begins to practice.
Both of Paul’s examples is the waiting that we need to understand.
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. James tells us to be Doers of the word not just hearers.
The church needs to Pray, Hear, and Do what God says. We are so impatient with God and Lazy in our service.
Don’t miss our Series entitle “Fast Food Church” beginning this week! Scott Dailey will be kicking off the series! So bring your friends, Bring your Bibles, and don’t miss it.
Have you wondered what is church all about? What is it supposed to be? I don’t like how it works sometimes? What does it mean about me?
Come and see!
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