Overflow Series

When I was I high school, my mom was ill for an extended time. My brothers were out of the house and my dad and I had to fend for ourselves. Sometimes we’d cook. But that got old. So, we’d go out to eat.

One of the places we went was a small little diner run by an African-American couple. We’re talking “soul food.” I was growing and playing three sports. So, I had an appetite. I loved eating at that little café. The food was really good stuff. And they just piled it on! The meat, the gravy, the vegetables all were hanging off the plates. Overflowing food. It made us want to go back for more – over and over again.

I wonder. Do people see you as a source of good stuff? Do people see you as someone who overflows with good stuff for them? And do they come back to you over and over for more? Do they know that you will do something or say something that will encourage them, that will lift them, that will help them?

Or is it true that some people run the other way when they see you coming – because you suck the life out of people with constant demands, criticism, and whining?

There’s a young teenager out there who’s about ready to cave into sexual temptation. Her friends are telling her that it’s fun. She wants to keep her boyfriend and he’s putting the pressure on. She’s wondering, “Is there someone I can go to? Someone who won’t condemn me for being tempted? Someone who will give me some good stuff? Someone I can go back to over and over for help?” She can’t think of anyone in her world.

There’s a young man who’s confused about the direction to go in life. He’s been cramming 4 years of college into on 6 ½. Why? When he was a kid, he stood at the free throw line when his team was down by one and he missed the shot. Ever since, he’s wondered, “Do I have what it takes to be a winner?” So, he’s stalled in life. He’s wondering, “Is there someone I can go to? Someone who won’t condemn me for procrastinating? Someone who will give me some good stuff? Someone I can go back to over and over for help?” He can’t think of anyone in his world.

To help make this talk something more meaningful to you, think of at least one person who needs you to overflow for them. Who’s counting on you being a source of life for them?

This is only going to happen when you experience an Extreme Makeover – when you overflow with the life of Jesus.

In case you didn’t know, we are having baptisms next weekend. Jesus said, “go and make disciples baptizing them…” If you have become a follower of Christ and you’ve never been baptized as a believer, then it would not be a surprise that God has been speaking to you about that. If you’re interested in being baptized, then let us know on your care card today.

Last week’s winds and snow knocked out our electricity and some of you may have missed the message. We are putting an MP3 file on our website that is under construction. You can go to cuyahogavalleychurch.com or cvccgrow.com.

But let me just give a little review. We talked about what it’s going to take to have God pick us for a makeover. Families that appear on ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition record an application video and say, “We hope you pick us!” They can’t pick everyone. But God can. There’s a certain type person He picks.

But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at My word.”

Isaiah 66:1-2 (ESV)

Look – to show regard to, to pay attention to,

“Lord, pick me for a makeover – Why? I need more strength, more protection, more reward, more forgiveness, more renewal.”

The Lord will “look” at me when I…

1. … am humble.

Proud people pretend to have it all together. Humble people know they don’t. They admit it!

2. … am contrite.

The word means extreme sorrow for sin. There’s no blame-shifting going on. I am sorry about what I have done to create my relationship problems. I don’t blame you. I am sorry about my part.

3. … tremble at His word.

We expose ourselves to God’s voice – to the Bible. We know it is God who is speaking. We dare not “do” when God says “don’t.” We dare not “don’t” when God says “do.”

Bottom line? God is looking for brokenness. I have here some decorative, ceramic balls. Put them in a bowl and sit them on a table or shelf and some people would say they are kind of nice to look at.