The new never wears off!
2nd Corn. 5:17 HCSB.
17. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.
Illus.
Saw a guy with his new car the other day, or at least it sure seemed new the way he admired it walking away backwards from it almost to the point of stumbling over the curb. You know one thing we like to do, is show off the new. I could relate with the man, he couldn’t stop looking at the shiny black convertible.
I know we’ve all been there and it’s something we like doing. Even years after the item we once had has come and gone we still talk with love and admiration about the relationship we have or had with that vehicle, or that guitar, or that special thing we once had.
Our relationship with Jesus should be the same way!
Telling and leading someone to the option of trading in their old life for the new and improved one God has prepared and has waiting for them to experience. Is one of the most exciting things a person can ever do or be part of the experience!
The salvation experience is undoubtedly, the most important experience one will ever have with the Lord! Because, its in that moment that you know for sure, where you are going to be spending eternity. It’s also in the same moment every other blessing God has for you stems from!!
Why is it, something so important, becomes something so routine in our lives for far to many, in such a short time?
Why is it that most Christians are on fire for God one minute living the life and so easily distracted by just about everything the next?
Our salvation experience is chapter 29 of the book of Acts, just waiting to be written about our journey and our relationship with our Saviour just as the first 28 chapters described the amazing things God accomplished through Paul and the disciples who walked the road of relationship with the quest of the great commission.
Our go into all the world and be witnesses for the Gospel command Jesus left us with, hasn’t changed not even one time! We have and society has. But God has not changed and the assignment of the great commission has not changed either! Paul described things pretty accurately in Acts 28!
Acts 28:26,27 NKJ
26 ‘Go to this people and say:
“Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand;
And seeing you will see, and not perceive;
27 For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears are hard of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed,
Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.”
Everybody says they want revival, if we could just get revival we would fill these churches up, if we could just get revival we would change the world! Oh God send us revival the church cries!
TBS in Second Chronicles 7:14 NKJ
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Yes I’m just like you when I hear a word and a promise that makes me think of revival. Wouldn’t that be nice, revival would solve everything!
The problem is TBS “Faith without works is dead” and 2 Chrn. 7:14 is exactly the same thing.
Until you’re willing to draw a circle around yourself and apply this scripture to yourself and experience revival and what it’s talking about, how are you going to contribute for revival to happen in your family, or your church, let alone across the country and world wide?
Because that’s what revival is really all about, each persons undeniable relationship, with Jesus Christ the Savior of the world and the journey that we take with Him, through life!
God never intended our salvation to be, the beginning and end of our getting to know Him, or telling others about and sharing our experiences!
Salvation is just a starting point, in our relationship with Him, an introduction so to speak of. Oft to many times people never make it to the growing period, the continual praying and seeking God’s face (2 Chrn. 7:14) in our walk and never ending relationship!
All we have to do is get others to believe what we believe, how could something so easy be so hard for so many?
So many church?s in every community, practically one on every corner,
So many opportunities to worship the Great creator,
So few in society willing to make a commitment to a new life and to be found faithful.
If the world would just wake up and realize, everything their looking for,
*happiness
*contentment
*love
*joy
*peace
*wealth
*knowledge
*wisdom
*favor and opportunity
All those things and more, can be found in and only through the one who created them, why would anyone look anywhere else, but to the source it originates from?
3 reasons come to mind,
Because they don?t know,
Or they know and refuse to believe.
Or they hear us telling them one thing, but living something different!
John 10:6-10 MSG
6-10 Jesus told this simple story, but they had no idea what he was talking about. So he tried again. “I’ll be explicit, then. I am the Gate for the sheep. All those others are up to no good—sheep stealers, every one of them. But the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the Gate. Anyone who goes through me will be cared for—will freely go in and out, and find pasture. A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.
Jesus came so we could experience all that God has to offer us, which is everything, including a real and eternal life, a more and better life than we have ever dreamed of.
With everything that Jesus has available to Him on the line, the abundant life the Bible promises.
Why wouldn?t everyone want to Know Him and experience all He is offering? That?'s a question that has been asked all down through history!
And here’s another question for the ones who do know Him as their Lord and Savior. Why wouldn't ?they want to know more of Him and strengthen their relationship with Him on a daily basis?
Because the more we get to know of Him, the less it becomes about us!
The more of the control in our lives we turn over to God, the less control we have to hang on to. The more of Jesus we get in the circle, in our own circle. The more it will become impossible to keep Jesus and what we become exposed to, only in the circle!
So many times we make sharing the gospel harder than it is.
TBS (the Bible says) if Jesus is lifted up, He will draw all men and women to Himself!
The Gospel story and message will always reap results! If presented, God will do the work through the timeless story of His willing Son Jesus and His ultimate sacrifice!
2nd Corn. 5:14-15 NASB.
14. For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;
15. and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.
Does turning over control of our lives and destiny to God, mean that we have lost control? I think sometimes and far to often people think and feel that way.
Most would never admit it, but our control issues,? keep us from receiving everything that God has for us!
I would suggest if being out of the control of my life means having God?s goodness, blessings and unmerited Favor showered on and all over my life, wouldn’t I be foolish not to give God total control of everything including my most important possession of myself?
Isn't it about time we let God drive the car and we ride shotgun for good and let Him take us to the high places of favor and blessings He has created for us and wants to take us too in this life we’re living in the right here and now?
You see, the Power of God in your Life, should be and is, ?a Life Changing Experience?! No one can ever be in His Presence and remain the same!
Each time someone comes to church and experiences the Presence and Power of God, they should never leave the same as they were when they came in.
If you come to worship God in Praise and Worship and you leave the same, then you've got a control issue!
What draws others to Salvation is when they see you no longer have control, but God does! That’s a visual of the scripture if Jesus be lifted up He will draw all men unto Himself!
That’s when someone says, I don’t know exactly what it is about them...but what ever it is, I want want they have! And that something they see isn’t the person, it’s God shining through the person!
Gods life changing ?Power? is available to all who will choose to experience it, and that being the key word, (Will).
Its amazing how much our ?will? influences what we do and what we become,
not only in life but our spiritual walk too!
Are you willing to draw a circle around yourself and pray through and become the spark to start the fire of revival you’ve both talked and heard others talk about for years?
All the great revivals and great moves of God started with a core group that first started with (2 Chrn. 7:14) themselves!
Some people don?t want to experience anything new in their life or walk with the Lord, because their stuck on the way things are,
If thats you this morning, How's that been working out for ya?
My question is, why in the world would any one stay the same, when you have a plan available for your life, that the creator of the universe was willing to sacrifice His only Son and go to such great earth shaking lengths so you could have it?
Matthew 11:20-30 The Message (MSG)
The Unforced Rhythms of Grace
20 Next Jesus let fly on the cities where he had worked the hardest but whose people had responded the least, shrugging their shoulders and going their own way.
21-24 “Doom to you, Chorazin! Doom, Bethsaida! If Tyre and Sidon had seen half of the powerful miracles you have seen, they would have been on their knees in a minute. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you. And Capernaum! With all your peacock strutting, you are going to end up in the abyss. If the people of Sodom had had your chances, the city would still be around. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you.”
25-26 Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: “Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You’ve concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that’s the way you like to work.”
27 Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. “The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I’m not keeping it to myself; I’m ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen.
28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Jesus not only wants to take you to new levels, He is willing and wants to take you and everyone you will ever come to know, to new heights in their life as well!
This world in which we live, is changing so fast around us, we can hardly keep up with the changes. There has never been a time in the history of the church, that has been closer to the second coming!
And at times it seems never has there been a time society has been less ready for such an event to take place!
Revival will never reach the masses until it starts with those humble enough to pray and seek Gods face to have and embrace revival starting with themselves first!
Let our prayer be change the world Lord, but first change my world so I can help change your world!
Let’s pray!
