One Shot

Jn 15:3-10 One Shot

Alexander the Great conquered the entire known world by the time he was 33 years old, and then he died.

Mother Theresa won a Nobel Peace Prize for her work among the poor before dying at the age of 87.

Abraham Lincoln failed many times as a businessman and politician before becoming the 16th president of the United States. He goes down in history as the man who issued the Emancipation Proclamation. He died at the age of 56.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. died at the age of 39, but not before becoming known as perhaps the greatest crusader for human rights.

No one really knows how old the Apostle Paul was when he died, but he is remembered as the greatest missionary ever.

____________________________________________________________

Do you know what these folks have in common?

• Other than the obvious fact that all these people are dead

• Each of them used the one life they were given

• To accomplish great things and leave an incredible mark on history.

Each of us here today have been given the same thing as these great people

• Each one of us have been give one life;

• We’ve been given one shot to do something great.

• Now Maybe we aren’t called to go down as anything special in the history books,

• But greatness isn’t necessarily measured by what people know

or what they remember.

Jesus tells us in Jn 15:8 My true disciples produce much fruit. This brings great glory to my Father..”

____________________________________________________________

I can’t imagine anything greater happening in my life

• Than knowing that God is being glorified by the fruit that I bear.

• By what I do , By how I act

• But at the same time I’m ashamed to admit that a lot of the pages in the book of my life

• Are filled with sin that dishonors Him.

• Many of the pages record nothing more than the routine of my religion.

____________________________________________________________

But the part that is hardest to accept

• Is there’s no way of erasing what’s been written. Of What I’ve already done

If I could go back and erase every sinful thing I’ve done - I would do it.

• If I could go back and give meaning to the ruts of Christianity

• That I’ve often gotten stuck in, I wouldn’t hesitate to do that either.

If I could, I’d make sure that every page in my book of life

• Showed me bearing fruit to God’s glory. But I can’t.

• But, at the same time I know that there is at least one blank page left in my book.

• It’s up to me to decide what’s going to be written on that page

• I alone have the power to decide what kind of fruit I bear.

• So what it comes down to is “What will I write in my book?”

• And starting today “What will you write in your book?”

___________________________________________________________

Today we’re going to look at John 15:3-10

• And I want to talk about using our one shot

• And I want to do is talk about 5 different questions that I hope

• Will stimulate our minds

• And get us thinking about what we’re going to do with this one shot:

1 Am I Living my life Like I’m Changed? ---Read JN 15:3

Each one of us here today at one time was capable of producing nothing but sin

• Nothing but selfishness.

• But now we’ve been given the opportunity to produce fruit that has eternal value!

But the problem is that most Christians haven’t changed;

• Maybe they’ve changed their Language, / Friends, / Practices / Actions

• But Spiritually they aren’t bearing eternal fruit.

• What are we doing in our lives?

• That will produce the most fruit possible for His glory?

2. Which leads to Am I Living Like I’m Clean? (:3)

We just read in John 15:3 that we are already clean

• One of the things that can really bog a Christian down

• And keep him from producing fruit is their past.

• We’ve all got a little history; / Skeletons in our closets.

• But whatever it is, the first thing we have to understand

• Is that God has completely forgiven you.

One of the most amazing things about the gospel—

• Is that it’s all done through God’s power,

• We don’t have to do anything

• We don’t have to Order it / Subscribe to it / Pay for it / Beg for it

• It’s all done by God’s power, ---- And God’s power is complete.

When Jacob was about to die he brought all of his sons before him so he could bless them