It's Time To Serve The Lord

It’s Time To Serve The Lord

“The Call Of Jesus”

THEOLOGY AT NW

Thankful for mentor opportunity

Fan of my dad’s preaching

12 year list of best

Last week was one of my personal top 3-get tape

Something stirring-conviction

-Andrew you must seek me

-I have been so busy with life that I haven’t taken time to seek God-not pray-seek

1. Conviction

2. Repenting

3. went home determined to seek God

4. I Did It

That is what the preaching of the Word is to do for you

James 1:22

-The word demands a response

Don’t let yourself grow cold to the word

-So many are cold to the blood and the cross

John Rogers-I walk away different

When you hear the Word you should walk away different

Its time to serve the Lord

-A Call to change—think about our Christian walk

AIRPLANE STORY

A call to change from a mindset of simple believing to a mindset of discipleship

CHURCH STORY

God is not looking for weak Christians, He is looking for Christians who are strong, determined, and willing to stand up for what is right

It’s the call of discipleship

It’s the call to relentless pursuit of God

The call of Jesus is not-A cowardly Call

-A half hearted Call

-not an easy call

The call of Jesus is an extreme call

-Those that follow his call must pay a price (over 100,000 believers are martyred every year)

Although you may never face death there is a price to pay

Matt 10:37-39

God did no call you to be a mere believer he called you to be a disciple

If you are going to be a disciple:

1.Jesus must be first

-you must get rid of things in your life that keep Jesus 2nd

(3 pastors)

Like these pastors there are things in each one of our lives that we must lay down

Matt 19:16-22

If you want to fully experience me there are some things you must give up

You may do all the religious things, but if you put anything before God you will have lack

For this man it was his riches-not that he had them-he put them first

How do you know he put his riches before Jesus? He wouldn’t give it up

What is it for you?

Growing Problems

What is first in your life? Business, Job, House

What do you need to sacrifice?

2.It will cost you everything (38)

Missionary

In reality to bear your cross is much more then temporary trials

I bore my cross this week-I did nursery

-went to wend night prayer

To bare your cross is much more then a degree of sacrifice you face this week

To bare you cross is to have a willingness to give your life

Those who carry a cross are condemned to die

Every disciple except John was martyred

James-beheaded

Peter-crucified

Simon-crucified

Mark-burned

Barthalemew-beaten, crucified, and beheaded

Philip-stoned

James the brother of Jesus-Thrown off the top of a temple

Matthew-killed by a spear

Andrew-who while being hung on a cross made this powerful statement, O cross, I most welcome and long for you! With a willing mind, joyful and desirous, I come to you, being a scholar of him who did hang on you, I have already been your lover and longed to embrace you

Loved ones the cross isn’t something to be ran from but something to be embraced

MARK BUNTAIN

Successful doctor-on his way

One summer he went on a short trip to India

Dr Buntain worked among the sick of Calcutta

Leprosy

-That’s embracing your cross-following Jesus no matter what it may cost

It is easy for us to sit back here in our church and say I would embrace the cross

It is easy for us to say we would give our lives

It is hard for us to say we will give over our pride

Our plans

Our ambitions

Our habits

Before you can embrace the cross you must embrace the way of the cross-which is the way of discipleship

3.It is worth everything (39)

A. CLOWN CAR

The things we give up as a disciple are temporal

The things we gain are eternal

B. Phil 3:7-11

To know Jesus

To embrace the call of Jesus-the path of the cross

It is more precious then life itself

C. Grandpa H

-Its not worth the sacrifice because of what it may gain for us

-Its worth the sacrifice because of what Jesus did on the cross

1 Pet 1:18-19

-Because He paid such a great price nothing we face because of our following him is to much

GOD IS NOT LOOKING FOR MORE BELIEVERS HES LOOKING FOR DISCIPLES