Jesus Came To Give His Life

JESUS CAME TO GIVE HIS LIFE

1. JESUS WILL ALWAYS HEAR OUR REQUEST, BUT WILL ALSO ALWAYS DIRECT US TO THE BEST WAY OF FULFILLING THEM.

JESUS IS NOT OUR SERVANT BUT OUR SAV IOR

AS SUCH, HE HAS ULTIMATE CONTROL OVER HOW HE DESIRES TO ANSWER OUR REQUEST.

NOTICE THAT JESUS DID NOT IGNORE THE REQUEST EVEN THOUGH IT WAS SELFISH AND MOTIVATED BY PERSONAL GAIN.

JESUS DID HOWEVER TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TURN THE REQUEST INTO A POSITIVE APPLICATION OF HIS TEACHING.

THE PRIMARY THING WE NEED TO ACCEPT WITH REGARD TO OUR PRAYER LIFE IS THAT JESUS IS SOVEREIGN.

2. THE FOCUS OF JESUS IS ON THE ETERNAL RESULTS OF WHAT HE IS DOING, NOT THE TEMPORAL ONES.

THIS IS A CLASSIC DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MIND OF GOD AND THE MIND OF MAN.

WE ARE TEMPORAL BEINGS IN A TEMPORAL WORLD.

WE ARE LIMITED BY OUR SENSES AND OUR NATURE.

WE LIVE IN A SOCIETY THAT VALUES TOYS, TECHNOLOGY AND STUFF.

THE DISCIPLES OF JESUS DAY ARE NO DIFFERENT THAN THOSE WHO SEEK TO FOLLOW CHRIST TODAY.

THE ISSUES ARE STILL THE SAME

THE DISCIPLES WANTED TO GAIN NOW BY SERVING JESUS. THEY WERE NOT ETERNALLY MINDED.

ETERNAL MINDEDNESS ALLOWS US TO FOCUS ON THE NEEDS OF OTHERS BECAUSE IT RELEASES US FROM THE BONDAGE OF THE TEMPORAL.

3. PEOPLE ARE OFTEN CONCERNED WITH WHO THEY ARE, BUT JESUS IS CONCERNED WITH WHAT THEY ARE DOING.

THE VALUE OF MAN IS VISIBLE AND TANGIBLE.

THE VALUE OF GOD IS HUMBLE AND ETERNAL

4. JESUS UNDERSTANDS HIS PURPOSE IN THE ETERNAL PLAN OF GOOD THE FATHER.

JESUS NOT ONLY TEACHES SERVANTHOOD, BUT MODELS IT IN HIS OWN LIFE AND PURPOSE.

JESUS CAME TO SERVE!

WHAT WAS YOUR PURPOSE IN COMING HERE TODAY? TO GET YOUR JESUS FIX OR TO BECOME A BETTER SERVANT?

5. THE PLANS OF GOD THE FATHER HAS ALREADY BEEN LAID OUT.

WE TOUCHED ON THIS EARLIER.

GOD IS SOVEREIGN

HIS PLANS ARE IN PLACE AND UNCHANGEABLE.

WE NEED TO HAVE THE ATTITUDE OF ACCEPTANCE NOT BELLIGERENCE!

WE ARE OFTEN READY TO GO TO SPIRITUAL WAR WITH GOD OVER WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DECIDED.

WE FORGET THAT WE ARE NO LONGER OUR OWN, BUT HAVE BEEN BOUGHT WITH A PRICE.

WHEN WE FORGET OUR WORTH AND OWNERSHIP, WE ARE DESTINED TO REBELLED AGAINST THE DETERMINED WILL AND PLAN OF ALMIGHTY GOD.

DISCONTENT WITH THE PLACE GOD HAS GIVEN US IS A DANGEROUS EMOTION TO HARBOR – JUST REMEMBER WHAT IT DID TO SATAN!

6. WE ARE OFTEN QUICK TO JUDGE OTHERS FOR THE SAME SINS WE WOULD BE GUILTY OF HAD WE HAD THE CHANCE.

THIS WAS A FAULT OF THE DISCIPLES THEN.

IT IS A CANCER IN THE CHURCH NOW!

AS LONG AS WE SEEK TO JUDGE OTHERS BY STANDARDS WE CANNOT LIVE UP TO OURSELVES WE ARE DESTINED TO LIVE IN HYPOCRISY!

WE REJECT GRACE AND EMBRACE LEGALISM.

ACCORDING TO PAUL, LEGALISM PUSHES US OFF THE PLAN AND PATH GOD INTENDS FOR US.

7. JESUS DRAWS A DISTINCT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHO WE WANT TO BE AND WHAT WE SHOULD BE.

WHO WE WANT TO BE IS BASED ON OUR NATURE

WHAT WE SHOULD BE IS BASED ON GOD’S PERFECT WILL FOR OUR LIVES.

THIS CHRISTMAS, WHICH ARE WE FOLLOWING?

8. JESUS TEACHES THAT SERVANTHOOD IS THE PATH TO GREATNESS, NOT POSITION OR POWER OR INFLUENCE.

PERHAPS THIS IS WHY GOD USES WHAT HE USES TO CONFOUND THE WISE.

IN OUR WORLD SERVICE IS RESERVED FOR THE ENTRANCE INTO THE WORKFORCE, OR FOR THE UNEDUCATED OR UNMOTIVATED.

CHRIST SAYS IT IS THE PATH TO GREATNESS.

WHO ARE YOU GOING TO BELIEVE?

9. JESUS MODELS SERVANTHOOD.

WANT TO BE A BIBLICAL SERVANT, FOLLOW JESUS.

LEARN WHAT HE DID, AND DO IT!

10. RANSOM IS MORE THAN MONEY.

THIS ACT OF SERVANTHOOD BY CHRIST DID MORE THAN PAY A PRICE.

THE WORD RANSOM COMES FROM THE ROOT MEANING TO LOOSE.

IT IS DESCRIPTIVE OF LOOSENING THE BONDS OF A CAPTIVE SO THAT THEY CAN BE RELEASED.

JESUS RANSOMED YOU FROM SIN. HE LOOSENED THE BONDS THAT SIN HAD ON YOU.

HE PAID THE PENALTY FOR YOUR SIN SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH FAITH IN HIM.

HE ALSO LOOSED YOU FROM YOUR SIN NATURE. HE GAVE YOU THE OPTION TO SERVE.

HOW MANY OF US THOUGH, HAVE REFUSED TO REMOVE OUR HANDS FROM OUT OF THE BONDAGE OF SELF-SERVICE IN ORDER TO SERVE THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

THIS CHRISTMAS, JESUS CAME TO GIVE HIS LIFE FOR YOU, NOT ONLY FOR YOUR ETERNITY, BUT FOR YOU’RE HERE AND NOW.