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Helping Hands Series
Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Nov 5, 2014 (message contributor)
Summary: Let’s look a little deeper at our parable today and Jesus’ message about what it means to love our neighbors! Let’s look at the characters in this short story - giant idea parable and learn something about doing the right thing even if it costs you something in return
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Opening Video Illustration: What if? (3 min)
Theme: Time Management
“God created me—and you—to live with a single, all-embracing, all-transforming passion—namely, a passion to glorify God by enjoying and displaying his supreme excellence in all the spheres of life.”
― John Piper, Don't Waste Your Life
Last week I asked the Question: How many here want to change the world for the “Good?” Most of you raised your hand and said you did. Did you have a chance to do that this week? Did you reach out to someone and help them? Do a random act of kindness for someone not expecting it?
This week is another week with an opportunity to change the world too – Yes, its election week so go vote for people who stand for Biblical Values!
Share about the warning letter you received last week from “Americans United for Separation of Church and State” about what could happen to me and the church if I try to influence people on how to vote. I could be reported to the IRS, lose our tax exempt status for church, be fined, and incur personal liability. This letter fired me up! This letter is filled with intimidation to tell me not to tell the church people to vote for Biblical Values this election – really?
To change this world and this country will require a resurgence of Biblical morality, Biblical values and a promotion of absolute truths based from the Bible. We need a divine intervention of the Holy Spirit to turn this country around. It’s going in the wrong direction! We have to discover the political candidates in our districts that stand for these Biblical values and vote for them. We need to pray to God for wisdom on who to vote for. We need you to do your home work and look at who we are voting for, check their voting records, look at their character, their belief system, and their value system. Do your homework! Be a wise voter!
Just look at what happened in Houston Texas these last few weeks, rogue mayors pushing their twisted belief system onto others, rejecting legal petitions, rogue judges attacking anything Biblical, look at the attack on Biblical Marriage, the attack on the right to life for babies, the attack on our children to move them away from a Biblical value system in our schools. Have you had enough Christian? It starts with your one vote! Let’s change this country and get it back on track like our founding Fathers set it up in the first place:
Remember some of their great quotes on the Bible and politics:
George Washington said: “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.” (America’s God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations page 660.)
Daniel Webster said “If there is anything in my thoughts or style to commend, the credit is due to my parents for instilling in me an early love of the Scriptures. If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper; but if we and our posterity neglect its instructions and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity.” (Page 669, AGCEQ).
Thomas Jefferson made this statement in 1781 and the quote is on his memorial in Washington DC, “God who gave us life and liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the Gift of God. That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever” (Page 323, AGCEQ).
John Jay (1st Chief Justice of the US) stated October 12, 1816 this, “Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christians nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers” (Page 318, AGCEQ).
My challenge: “Stand against the attack on Biblical Christian values in our country. If we don’t stand up who will? If you don’t at such a time as this –
what do you think will happen to your kids and your grandkids? What do you think will happen to your religious freedom in this country to believe in Biblical values?”
Once again be reminded “Use your time wisely – don’t waste it – invest it into Heavenly truths not humanistic lies.”
Thesis: The world we live in knows the importance of Time Management but where they miss the mark is on what they prioritize - which usually is some of following: personal gain, financial success, fame and power. The Bible also speaks about Time Management but God through His Word prioritizes things differently than our world. His big four in regards to Time Management are faith in Him, fellowship with Him, relationship with others and sharing your story with others.