How To Have A Spirit-Led Life!

HOW TO HAVE A SPIRIT-LED LIFE

SPECIFIC PURPOSE: To motivate the listener to give the leadership of their life over to Jesus Christ. To help them reevaluate their life and what they do.

CENTRAL IDEA: The listener should walk away from this message challenged to become more deeply involved with Jesus Christ. They should be reexamining their life to bring it closer to one that is led by the Spirit.

I. This morning we will undoubtedly cover some very personal topics.

A. I will be very vulnerable to you and I hope that you will be very vulnerable to yourselves.

1. Yes, I said that you need to be vulnerable to yourselves.

a. What that means is that sometimes we humans have the innate ability to convince ourselves that we are something we are not.

b. I don’t know about you but I am always trying to be the do-it-yourselfer.

c. I would venture to say that all do-it-yourselfers, like me, have fallen victim to the Tim Taylor school of theology. The one with the motto of “Ah come on, this will be fun, you’ll see.” Remember Tim the tool man Taylor on the television series Home Improvement? In his school they even teach you how to acieve that special look in your eye like when he got when getting the new tools he needed for “doing the job right.”

d. In every do-it-yourselfers life there is always that one project that will tackle that should be left to the professionals. Right! Have you been there?

e. I recently read an account of one such project. I assure you that to the best of my knowledge this account is true and it fits very well with the Bible passage for today.

ACCIDENT REPORT

This one needs a little introduction so you won’t be lost at the beginning. This man reported this accident to his insurance company, in reporting this accident he filled out an insurance claim. The insurance company contacted him and asked for more information. This was his response:

“I am writing in response to your request for additional information, for block number 3 of the accident reporting form. I put ‘poor planning’ as the cause of my accident. You said in your letter that I should explain more fully and I trust the following detail will be sufficient. I am an

amateur radio operator and on the day of the accident, I was working alone on the top section of my new 80 foot tower. When I had completed my work, I had discovered that I had, over the course of several trips up the tower, brought up about 300 pounds of tools and spare hardware. Rather than carry the now unneeded tools and materials down by hand, I decided to lower the items in a small barrel by using the pulley attached to the gin pull at the top of the tower. Securing the rope at ground level, I went to the top of the tower and loaded the tools and materials into the barrel. Then I went back to the ground and untied the rope, holding it tightly to ensure a slow decent of the 300 pounds of tools.” “You will note that in block number 11 of the accident reporting form that I weigh only 155 pounds. Due to my surprise of being JERKED OFF the ground so suddenly, I lost my presence of mind and forgot to let go of the rope. Needless to say, I preceeded at a rather rapid rate of speed up the side of the tower. In the vincity of the 40 foot level I met the barrel coming down. This explains my fractured skull and broken collar bone. Slowed only slightly, I continued my rapid accent, not stopping until the fingers of my right hand were two knuckles deep into the pulley. Fortunately, by this time, I had regained my presence of mind and I was able to hold on to the rope in spite of my pain. At aprroximately the same time however, the barrel of tools hit the ground and the bottom fell out of the barrel. Devoid of the weight of the tools, the barrel now weighed approximately 20 pounds. I refer you again to my weight in block number 11. As you might imagine, I begain a rapid descent down the side of the tower. In the vincity of the 40 foot level, I met the barrel coming up. This accounts for the two fractured ankels and the lacerations of my legs and lower body. The encounter with the barrel slowed me enough to lessen my injuries when I fell onto the pile of tools and fortunately only three vertebrae were cracked. I am sorry to report, however, that as I lay there on the tools in pain, unable to stand and watching the empty barrel 80 feet above me I again lost my presence of mind. I let go of the rope . . .