“THE 4 KEY P‘s OF TRUE
EXCITING CHRISTIAN LIVING!”
Introduction:
Lately God has had me on a growth course for my life that is, what I believe, is a “CRITICAL TURNING POINT” for our church! You know what a “TURNING POINT” is! It’s that place where you make a “TURN!” A “TURN” can mean everything in a trip. If you make the “WRONG TURN” you end up somewhere you hadn’t wanted. But if you make the “RIGHT TURN” then you end up where you wanted to go all along the way!
What God has been doing in my life is not complete, but it’s the beginning of something that is “EXCITING & DYNAMIC & LIFE CHANGING”, at least for my life. As a Pastor, I have to believe what God is doing in my life can and should have a direct effect on our church!
I believe this “TURN” will change our lives & our church. It’s changing my life as God is planting it in my spirit. I’m going to stay with this message till the Lord leads me otherwise. It is something that is changing & revolutionizing my life & I KNOW, IF YOU ALLOW IT TO, IT WILL DO THE SAME FOR YOU & OUR CHURCH!
When God began to deal with me about it my attitude was, “WELL, THAT’S A NEAT IDEA GOD! THANKS!”, but as it’s been developing it in my spirit I’m finding it’s taking THE FOREFRONT & EVEN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF CONTROL OF MY THOUGHTS & EVEN MY ACTIONS! IT’S CHANGING THE WAY I LOOK AT & PERCEIVE GOD ALTOGETHER, IT’S CHANGING THE WAY I ACT! IT IS “DYNAMIC & PROFOUND” ON LEVELS I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT!
It started with “PURPOSE!” But, this past Wednesday evening it began to develop into something greater than just “PURPOSE” itself! It started late last year and through part of the first of this year. I’ll tell you something, I’m not proud of. I allowed something to cause me to change my direction that I felt God leading me in. That was my fault and for a few months I seemed to stumble in my spirit a little bit, but I feel as though I’ve got my stride back and THIS IS MY DIRECTION, THIS IS THE DIRECTION THAT GOD has put me on for myself and for this church!
I’ve been trying to finish a lesson very similar to what I started to preach last week but have not been able to finish it. This past Wednesday evening was no different. I started the lesson and ended up going a different direction but still on the same subject. This Wednesday evening God gave me something I shared briefly that I want to share with you this morning!
Folk, I’m going to tell you that I’m a little “confused & perplexed” that it doesn’t seem that you’ve caught hold of what I’m preaching. So I’m continuing the theme till it sinks in your spirit. When it does, sink into your spirit, it’ll be like a window opening on you soul, a freshness in you spirit that will all of a sudden make sense to you. It’s going to shake your foundation like it’s shaking mine right now! I want to encourage you to ALLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT TO SPEAK TO YOU TO HEAR THIS MESSAGE THAT GOD IS PLANTING WITHIN MY SPIRIT FOR YOU AND THIS CHURCH!
THIS IS SO SIMPLE YET SO VERY PROFOUND! I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS TIED SO CLOSELY TO OUR LIVES, OUT CHRISTIAN EXISTENCE AND OUR CHRISTIAN WALK THAT IT HAS TO BE THE FOUNDATION OF OUR VISION AS A PEOPLE, AS INDIVIDUAL PERSONS THIS MORNING!
WHEN THIS FOUNDATION BECOMES ENTRENCHED IN OUR LIVES AS CHRISTIANS THEN IT WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING ABOUT OUR CHURCH! IT WILL CHANGE THE WAY WE WORSHIP, THE WAY WE PRAY, THE THINGS WE PRAY ABOUT, OUR ATTITUDE ABOUT CHURCH ALL TOGETHER & IT WILL CHANGE OUT ATTITUDES ABOUT CHRISTIAN LIVING ALL TOGETHER!
IN MY HEART AND MIND THIS IS SO DYNAMIC THAT I FIND IT HARD TO THINK THAT YOU WON’T BE MOVED AT THE VERY LEAST! I’M FINDING MY SELF THINKING ABOUT THIS ALMOST CONSTANTLY! I’M WAKING UP THINKING ABOUT!
WE ALL WANT THE “POWER” OF GOD TO BE EVIDENT IN OUR CHURCH AND LIVES BUT IF WE “ONLY” WANT THE “POWER” OF GOD AND NOT WHAT USHERS IN THE “POWER” OF GOD THEN WE WILL NEVER KNOW THE FULL “POWER OF GOD” IN THE MANNER THAT GOD DESIRES FOR US TO KNOW IT!
Everything God did & does has a “DIVINE PLAN” about it. When God told the Israelites to go into a land and conquer it God had a “DIVINE PLAN” on how to do it.
You can look into the History of the Israelites and see that every time they followed God’s “DIVINE PLAN” they had “VICTORY” and they had an “OVERWHELMING POWER” that utterly defeated and routed out the enemy from his strongholds! But when they did not follow God’s “DIVINE PLAN” they experienced defeat, UTTER DEFEAT!
WE NEED TO BE FOLLOWING GOD’S “DIVINE PLAN” & WHAT GOD IS PLANTING IN MY SPIRIT I KNOW IN MY HEART IS THE “DIVINE PLAN” GOD HAS FOR US. IT’S NOT A NEW PLAN, IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN THE “DIVINE PLAN” GOD HAS USED FOREVER! AS I SAID IT’S SO SIMPLE BUT YET SO PROFOUND!
SOMETIMES THE SIMPLEST OF PLANS CAN CONFOUND US BECAUSE WE THINK. THAT’S JUST TO EASY! IT HAS TO BE HARDER THAN THAT! IT HAS TO BE MORE COMPLEX THAN THAT!
BUT IT’S NOT!
Folk we’re no different this morning. If we are to know “VICTORY & SUCCESS” in the Kingdom & here as well, then we have to follow God’s “DIVINE PLAN” and follow it exclusively!
We’ve got an Oil Company getting ready to drill for oil. How many of you would like to see them strike oil and a blessing of finances come into this church allowing us to do Ministry we’ve dreamed of doing? Hiring staff, a Youth Pastor, Children’s Pastor, maybe even a Master’s Commission Director and do them on a large scale of ministry. Folk, all those things can come but ONLY AS WE FOLLOW THE “DIVINE PLAN!”
Well, I believe that God has given me that “DIVINE PLAN” for this church just recently in a series of teachings and sermons! I didn’t know it at the start but God has been developing something in my spirit that is so exciting and dynamic I would fail you as a Pastor if I didn’t present it and preach it to you. PLEASE, DON’T FAIL GOD AND YOURSELF BY NOT RECEIVING IT IN THE SAME MANNER, BECAUSE GOD WANTS TO DO “GREAT & GLORIOUS” THINGS WITH YOU!
HERE’S THE PLAN!
1. PRESENCE. 2. PURPOSE.
3. PASSION. 4. POWER
THE 4 P’S OF EXCITING CHRISTIAN LIVING!
FOLK, WHEN YOUR CHRISTIAN LIFE BECOMES THE EXCITING LIFE THAT GOD WANTS IT TO BE THEN YOUR LIFE WILL CHANGE DRAMATICALLY IN EVERY WAY AND FASHION. THIS CHURCH WILL CHANGE DRAMATICALLY IN EVERY WAY AND FASHION!
WHEN THESE “4 P’s” BECOME THE PRIORITY IN YOUR LIFE THEN YOU’LL KNOW CHRISTIANITY LIKE YOU’VE NEVER KNOWN IT BEFORE!
LET’S TOUCH IN THEM THIS MORNING!
I. PRESENCE - Exodus 33:14 “If Your (PRESENCE) does not go with us do not send us up from this place. How will anyone know that you are pleased with your people...unless you go with us. What else will distinguish your people from all the other people...?”
Having God’s Presence in & about your life will cause “DRAMATIC CHANGES” in you! You’ll be more concerned about what you do from moment to moment, BECAUSE YOU’RE IN GOD’S PRESENCE!
You’ll want to do what is “RIGHT” IN THE EYES OF GOD BECAUSE YOU’RE IN GOD’S PRESENCE!
You’ll “SEE THINGS & PEOPLE” DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE YOU’RE IN GOD’S PRESENCE!
THERE’LL BE A “BOLDNESS & A HUMBLENESS” ABOUT YOU BECAUSE YOU’RE IN GOD’S PRESENCE!
SATAN CAN’T STAND THE “PRESENCE OF GOD” VERY LONG! WE KNOW HE CAN FOR A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE HE DID IT WHEN HE PETITIONED GOD FOR JOB! BUT HE CAN’T DO IT VERY LONG!
II. PURPOSE - John 4:34 “My meat is to do the will of the Father who sent me.” His “MEAT” was His “PURPOSE!” You’ve got to find your purpose in God. I’ve been preaching about it for some weeks! Your primary purpose in God is found right in the Bible itself!
“PURPOSE” will give you a REASON TO LIVE & A REASON TO DIE! Paul wasn’t scared of dying as much as he was scared of NOT LIVING OUT HIS PURPOSE!
His “PURPOSE” was his REASON FOR LIVING & DYING! His “PURPOSE” made him “ONE WITH GOD” because...
“HE WAS “ONE WITH GOD’S PURPOSE!”
III. PASSION - John 10:10 Jesus said, “The thief comes not but for to steal, and to kill, I am come that you might have life and have it more abundantly!”
I know you’ve heard that passage time and again but hear me this morning! This passage “EXPLODES with PASSION!” It “EXPLODES” with the “PASSION!” that Jesus had towards the world! He came that the world might have life, that the world might live! And not just exist, not just to get by but to LIVE ABUNDANTLY!
FOLK, SOMETHING YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND IN YOUR CHRISTIAN WALK AND LIFE!
YOU’LL NEVER HAVE “POWER”
WITHOUT THE “PASSION!”
IV. POWER - Luke 10:19 Jesus says to those with him, the 70 that He sent out that he was not sending them out defenseless! He was sending them out with “POWER!”
“Behold, I give to you (POWER) to tread on serpents
and scorpions, and over the power of the enemy
and nothing shall by any means harm you.”
HE SENT THEM OUT WITH THE “POWER” NEEDED TO DO THEIR “PURPOSE” THAT THEY WERE “PASSIONATE” ABOUT BECAUSE THEY HAD BEEN IN “HIS PRESENCE!”
BUT NOT FIRST WITHOUT HAVING THE “PRESENCE, PURPOSE & PASSION” IN THEIR LIVES THEY NEEDED! WITHOUT THE FIRST THREE THEY COULD NEVER ATTAIN THE “POWER” THEY NEEDED!
“PASSION” ALWAYS PRECEDES “POWER!” IT IS THE PRESENCE AND “PURPOSE” COUPLED WITH “PASSION” THAT PRODUCES A “POWER” THE ENEMY CANNOT STAND AGAINST!
CONCLUSION:
HERE’S THE PROGRESSION!
“PRESENCE” ALWAYS PRECEDES “PURPOSE!”
THE “PRESENCE” OF GOD SHOULD BE THE PREEMINENT FACTOR IN OUR EXISTENCE! MOSES SAID, “IF YOU PRESENCE DOES NOT GO WITH US, WE’RE NOT MOVING!” FOR THE “PURPOSE” IS FOUND IN THE “PRESENCE!”
“PURPOSE” PRECEDES “PASSION”
FOR IT’S IN THE “PURPOSE” THE “REASON FOR LIVING”, WE FIND OUR “PASSION!”
“PASSION” PRECEDES “POWER”
WHEN THAT “PASSION” TAKES IT’S PLACE IN OUR LIVES THEN THE “POWER” IS A FORGONE CONCLUSION IN OUR LIVES.
IT IS THAT “POWER” THAT “ENABLES” US TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE, TO DEFEAT THE UN-DEFEAT-ABLE, TO CONQUER THE UNCONQUERABLE!
IT IS THAT “POWER” THAT “ENABLES” US TO DO THE WILL OF GOD IN OUR LIVES, OUR CHURCH, OUR COMMUNITY, IN THIS WORLD!
