The Great Adventure Series
Sermon 2
Title: Where we belong
Based on the Music by Steve Curtis Chapman
Introduction
We continue today with a sermon series based on Steve Curtis Chapman’s musical CD called “The Great Adventure”.
The second song that we are going to be looking at is the song which is called “Where we belong”.
The words go as follows:
1. A gentle breeze was blowing
2. The air was heavenly sweat – life was so complete
3. In a picture perfect garden
4. While the sun went down you could hear the sound
5. Of a man and a woman crying – saying what have we done
6. We made our choice and now we are dying
7. And we’ve got to leave this place and hide from God’s face, but this is
CHORUS
8. Where we belong, where you and I were meant to be (from now on) all along
9. Made by the Father to live in His love
10. It’s the purpose and plan for the heart of man
11. this is where we belong
12. The warm winds of change were blowing
13. After years and years of hopeless tears
14. One man became the doorway
15. That would lead back to the place where life was new
16. A place just like the garden where we walk and talk with God
17. The way creation started
18. Where each heart and soul can come and be whole (this is)
BRIDGE
19. Like the stars belong in the sky, like a fish belongs in the water
20. Just like children you and I belong in the hands of the Father.
Steve Curtis Chapman
1. Line 1 to 7
Steve Chapman introduces us to a couple, who seem to have found the perfect life. Almost reminds me of how it was in the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve walked and talked with God.
1. A gentle breeze was blowing
2. The air was heavenly sweat – life was so complete
3. In a picture perfect garden
Everything was so perfect. But just before the sun went down, you could hear the sound of a man and women crying –saying what have we done?
Before the sun went down! Sounds a lot like many of our lives. Things seem to be going great, and then all of a sudden, life turns on us, and everything turns up side down. A perfect life is not so perfect anymore.
The saddest part of the song is line 7 - And we’ve got to leave this place and hide from God’s face!
When life is no longer sweet, we rush off, and try to hide from Gods face.
Even worse, when life deals some of its dreadful blows we raise our hands to heaven and ask God, WHY, WHY ME! As if God had something to do with the problems and difficulties that we face in life.
Some people take it even further; by thinking that it must be God’s desire for them to suffer. And in their suffering, they supernaturally become Holy (Nonsense!).
We have this misconception that life can only be a “Great Adventure” when everything is a bed of roses - when everything is going great.
My message today, is that you are exactly where you belong. In order to live life like a great adventure you need to understand the following truth – God wants you to have a good life. Jesus came so that each of us can enjoy life.
If you are waiting for all your troubles to go before you begin to enjoy life, you may never get the chance. I hate to be the prophet of doom, but life is full of trouble. When you get through what you going through now, something else will come along.
If God is so good, why do Bad things happen to His People?
Extracts from commentary from the Silver Ring Thing Study Bible
Romans 5: 1-5 (NLT)
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us – they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengths our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
Please understand – sickness, war, natural disasters, tragedies – they come to the just and the unjust, the Christian and the non Christian. Whenever tragedy strikes, we wonder why God would allow such things to happen. We somehow think we should be immune to the hardships of life.
God may have created a perfect world in the beginning, but he also gave man freedom to obey and disobey. When Adam sinned, death and suffering became a natural part of life. The simple truth is that we all face the consequences of evil that exists in this world.
The only solution to the evil is God’s solution – Jesus Christ.
The moment we surrender our lives to Him, we enter into the master plan that he has for us. We have no idea what the future brings, but we can know who holds the future.
Romans 8: 28 (NLT)
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
When you suffer, it is not Gods way of punishing you! We need to understand that God is not in the punishing business. If you read in Genesis 3: 1 -21, you will see how we are born into a world that is infected by sin. When we are born, we take on the liability of sin and we live in an atmosphere of sin, where all the consequences of sin affect us.
This means that people suffer because they live in a sinful world. God is not punishing us. Neither is God the cause of our pain and suffering.
We need to understand who is doing what.
John 10:10 (NLT)
The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.
It is the devil who wants to steal, kill and break you down so you don’t enjoy life.
It is not God who brings the bad things of life, but he most certainly will use the good and bad things for our own benefit. Now that is easy to say when things are going smoothly. But when something unexpected comes into the picture, we may wonder if God is paying attention.
It is at times like these that we need to remember that God is painting on a large canvas. God looks at the big picture, while we only look at what is in front of us. God will allow many things to come into our lives. Everything that comes our way is part of God’s plan for us. Tragedy is not good, but God can take tragedy and hardship and use them for his glory. As Gods Children, nothing comes to us which has not gone through the Father first. God will use the bad things to strengthen and develop our character.
2. Line 8 to 11
8. Where we belong, where you and I were meant to be (from now on) all along
9. Made by the Father to live in His love
10. It’s the purpose and plan for the heart of man
11. this is where we belong
Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago
Regardless of what we are currently facing, life can be a great adventure when we know that everything is according to Gods perfect plan. The pain and suffering that you are currently facing will end. Your heart will mend.
God’s word is clear, we are his masterpiece.
Rest assured today, that God has already prepared paths for you to take in the future. When God laid out the plan for your life, He lined up all the right people, the right circumstances, and the right breaks. Despite the onslaught of the evil one, God has already released favour and supernatural opportunities in your future.
The breakthrough that you are waiting for has already been preordained to come across your path. If you will just keep the faith. The book of Samuel says that God is the God of the breakthrough.
When we really understand this principle, you’ll get excited by every single day. Your life will become a great adventure as you think about what blessing is on its way. It could be today, tomorrow or even next week. Keep expecting, keep believing.
According to Joel Osteen, “we need to stay focused on the fact that God has already released into our future everything we need to have joy, success and peace. Start declaring seasons of increase over your life.”
3. Line 12 to 18
12. The warm winds of change were blowing
13. After years and years of hopeless tears
14. One man became the doorway
15. That would lead back to the place where life was new
16. A place just like the garden where we walk and talk with God
17. The way creation started
18. Where each heart and soul can come and be whole (this is)
Do you need a breakthrough?
John 14:6
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me”
Jesus is not only the way to eternal life, but also the way to everything we need in this life, on this side of heaven.
- Do you want to find a way out of debt?
- Do you want to mend those broken relationships?
- Do you want to overcome the pain and suffering of past experiences?
- Do you want to face your problems head on?
Look to the Father, through Jesus. When you know Jesus, you will know the way. No matter what you are facing, no matter what challenges or difficulties you are facing, Jesus will make a way for you even when you cannot see how.
God loves you so much that he wants to strengthen and empower you to live in total victory. That is why Jesus came – so we can have victory despite the circumstances of life.
Romans 12: 2
Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
One of the ways we can have victory is by changing they way we think. The way we look and think about our problems. Don’t think defeated thoughts. Think the same thoughts of God, his Word. Whatever you allow in your mind will come to pass in your life.
The devil loves to overpower you and keep you down heartened by getting into your mind.
I recently finished a book by one of my favourite pastor/preacher/teacher Joyce Meyer. I praise the Lord for her amazing ministry. Some thoughts from her book – “I dare you, embrace life with passion”
- “Proverbs 23: 7 says, “as a man thinks, so shall his life be. Our minds must come into agreement with God. God has a great plan for each of us, but we need to renew our minds and change our attitudes.”
- “We need to think thoughts that will assist God in bringing his plan to pass in our lives.” In essence we need to cooperate with God, and we cooperate by the way we think. Our thoughts can become the house we live in. (a house of negativity or positivity).
- “Our enemy is the devil, a liar and a deceiver who constantly tries to inject wrong thoughts into our minds, hoping we will accept them as truth. Acceptance of his deceit as truth we let him win and hand him the keys to our futures.”
- “Take control of your thoughts. Make the choice to think positive thoughts.”
- “God’s will for you is peace of mind.”
- “God made peace available to us through Jesus. He did his part and now we need to do our part. Our part is to stop letting ourselves be upset, afraid, worried, anxious and troubled.” (Example – life savers are taught not to help until a person has stopped panicing)
- “Cooperate with God by having minds full of faith and seeing what we hope for, not merely what we have.”
- “Satan loves it when we image disaster, failure, rejection, sickness, financial struggles, and all kinds of other negative things. God wants us to see only good things happening to us. God wants us to be positive.”
- “As the prophet Isaiah said, God wants us to rise above the storms of life and learn to soar with eagles who learn to use the storms to lift them to new levels”
Conclusion
James 4: 14
How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like a morning fog – its here a little while, then its gone.
Joel Osteen once told a story of a man who always complained about driving in the traffic, until one day he had an accident that almost cost him his life. Several months in the hospital changed his attitude.
Everyday is a precious gift from God. We have no guarantee that we’re going to be here tomorrow. We need to live life everyday like it could be our last. Don’t put off enjoying life, because of the temporary, and they are temporary, difficulties you are facing.
Too many people are planning to enjoy life when their ship comes in, or when they get that promotion, or when they get married, when they overcome their sickness, when their marriage gets back on track.
Enjoy life today, right where you are. Make this day a masterpiece. Treasure every moment as a gift from God.
Salvation prayer
I truly believe that life will only become a great adventure when we begin to enjoy life regardless of our circumstances.
Perhaps you have no more hope. Maybe you are one of those people who think that God is not paying attention. Maybe you are one of those people who think God cannot help. You are wrong. God’s love and provision is available right here and right now. If you want to experience the peace of God, all you need to do is accept it. The word says that we have a choice between life and death. Gods wants us to have life, and life in its fullness.
If you have never accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, I would encourage you to make that decision today. While all eyes are closed, if you want me to include you in my prayer this morning, please just raise your hand.
Prayer after me:
“Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. I ask you to come into my heart, forgive me and erase my past mistakes with the blood you shed for me on the cross. I make you my Lord and Saviour. Oh God, you’re now more than my God, you’re my heavenly Father and I am going to serve you all the days of my life. Jesus is my Lord, Amen.
May God Bless you.
Hylton Davidson
21 July 2010
Acknowledgements, thanks and resources:
1. Thanks to the Holy Spirit for His inspiration and guidance.
2. Steve Curtis Chapman – The Great Adventure CD.
3. Hope for Today Study Bible – NLT – Commentary by Joel Osteen.
4. Silver Ring Thing Study Bible- NLT – Commentary by various.
5. Book - Bible Answers for almost all your questions. – Elmer L Towns – page 80.
6. Joyce Meyer – Book: I dare you! – embrace life with passion – chapter 12, page 181 to 209
