) All scripture is quoted from “The Amplified Bible” unless marked with ( * )
then scripture is quoted from NIV.
By Gods grace and mercy we are saved
Romans 10:13 “For everyone who calls on the name of the lord invoking him as
Lord will be saved.”
INVOKE ( Oxford dictionary )Call upon in prayer; or as a witness; appeal to
persons authority ; summon; ask earnestly for.
Earnestly (Oxford) Two points
(1) Ardently serious - showing intense feeling; seriously with determination
Ardently (oxford) = Eager, fervent, passionate, burning.
No contracts; I will, if you will do this for me or I did because he did, or I just grew
into it. A decisive moment takes place. You can’t go along for the ride, I can’t take
my Dad and younger brother with me no matter how much I would love to.
(2)Ardently (oxford) = Money paid as an instalment to confirm contract; token;
foretaste.
What is the instalment to confirm for us?
What is the token required of us?
What is the foretaste God expects from us
Two things
(1) Repentance (Strongs Concordance)Greek = Met-o-eh-o; Think differently;
reconsider thoughts, wills, emotions. In this tense it is also says repentance is an
accompaniment.
ACTS 17:30 “Such former ages of ignorance God, it’s true, ignored and allowed
to pass unnoticed, but now he charges all people everywhere to repent. To
change their minds for the better and heartily to amend their ways with
abhorrence of their past sins.
Abhorrence (Oxford) Disgust, Detestation .
Detestation (Oxford) Hate, Loath.
So now we have invoked Jesus as Lord we have to look at our lives without
Christ, At our past attitudes , thought patterns, behaviour, mindset With disgust
and hatred and with loathing. But as our old life has died with Christ, so also has
our new life been resurrected Sharing in this with and through Christ.
Romans 6:2 to 8 “ Certainly not ! How can we who died to sin live in it any
longer? 3 Are you ignorant of the fact that all of us who have been baptised into
Christ Jesus were baptised into his death.
4 We were buried therefore with him by the baptism into death, so that just as
Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the father, so we too
might Habitually live and behave in the newness of life.
5 For if we have become one with him by sharing a death like His, we shall also
be one with him sharing his resurrection by a new life lived for God.
6 We know that our old unrenewed self was nailed to the cross with him in order
that our body ,which is the instrument of sin, might be made ineffective and
inactive for Evil. That we might no longer be the slaves of sin. 7 For when a man
dies he is freed, loosed, delivered from the power of sin among men.
8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.
(2) Faith
Jesus said all through the gospel that
“Have Faith in God” * Mark 11:22
“Great is thy faith” *Mathew 15:28
“Thy faith has made thee whole” *Mathew 9:22,Mark 4:40; 10:52
*Luke 8:48; 17:19
“Thy faith hath saved thee” *Luke 7:50; 18:42
“I have not found greater faith” *Luke 7:9
“are sanctified by faith that is in me” *Acts 26:18
Sanctified (Strongs)Greek to make holy, that is to purify or consecrate
(Oxford) made holy; free from sin
Consecrate (Oxford) make or declare holy; devote to purpose.
Not to forget when Jesus rebuked with the term
“ Oh ye of little faith” *Mathew 6:30; 8:26; 14:31; 16:8; Luke 12:28.
or
“where is your faith” *Luke 8 :25.
or
“how is it that you have no faith.” *Mark 4:40
Faith (Strongs) Greek = Pistis = conviction of truth of God esp reliance upon
Christ for Salvation
Pistis comes from the Greek word Peitho pi-tho to rely by inward certainty;
assure, believe, have confidence, be confident, make friend, obey, trust, yield.
So now we have admitted we need God in our lives.
We have said sorry to God for our sin and asked for forgiveness.
We believe that Jesus Died on the cross for our sin and rose again 3 days
later.
We now turn away from the disgusting, detestable, loathsome, and hateful
behaviour, thoughts, attitudes and mindset that we have learned and obeyed
all our lives, until this moment.
We have Called upon in prayer, appealed To Gods authority and Eagerly,
fervently, showing intense feeling; with burning passion asked him to be Lord of
our lives.
Now What ?
FIVE POINTS
(1) Gods Word (2) Sharing our faith (3) Fellowship (4) praise (5) Prayer
Until this moment we have lived in darkness so how do we live in the light.
We are called to be lights of the world !
Acts 13:47 “For so the Lord, he charges us saying I have set you to be a light for
the gentiles, The heathen, that you may bring eternal salvation to the uttermost
parts of the World.”
Matthew 5:14 to 16 “ You are the light of the World. A city set on a hill cannot be
hidden. 15 Nor do men light a lamp and then hide it, but put it on a lamp stand,
and it gives light to the whole house. 16 Let your light so shine before men that
they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble and good
deeds and recognise and honour and praise and glorify your Father Who is in
heaven. “
*Psalm 18:28 “For you cause my lamp to be lighted and to shine, the lord my God
illumines my darkness.”
So how does God turn my darkness into light ?
*Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path”
(1) Gods Word
Gods word causes our lamp to shine, to shine we must spend time in Gods
word.
Jesus Showed us the importance of Knowing what Gods word says and how to
use it.
As soon as Jesus was empowered for ministry by the holy spirit, Satan
immediately put him to the test Matthew 4:3 to 11
Physically - Turn these stones to bread
Mentally - Throw yourself down from the temple turret and Angels will save you
Spiritually - Worship and do homage to me
Jesus defeated the enemy with scripture.
AND SO CAN WE
2 Timothy 3:15 to17 “And how from your childhood have you had a knowledge of
and been aquatinted with the sacred writings, which are able to instruct you and
give you the understanding for salvation which comes through faith in Christ
Jesus ,through the leaning of the entire human personality on God in Christ
Jesus in absolute trust and confidence in his power, wisdom, and goodness.
16 Every scripture is God breathed, given by his inspiration, and profitable for
instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline
in obedience and for training in righteousness in holy living, in conformity to Gods
will in thought, purpose, and action. 17 So that the man of God may be complete
and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
(2) Sharing our faith
Math 28:9 “go and make disciples of all nations”
Math 5:2 “ the disciples came to him and he began to teach them saying”
To teach we have to speak, to give our testimony we have to speak to share our
faith we have to speak. By speaking it confirms our salvation
Romans 10:9 & 10 “ Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that
Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe, adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth,
that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 for with the heart of a person believes, adheres to, trusts in, and relies on
Christ, and so is justified, declared righteous, acceptable to God and with the
mouth he confesses, declares openly and speaks out freely his faith , and
confirms his salvation.”
(3) Fellowship
Hebrews 10:25 “Not forsaking or neglecting to assemble together as believers, as
is the habit of some people, but admonishing, warning, urging and encouraging,
one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching.”
Meeting together is not a choice , its a command.
What would we rather do. Sport , Work , Sleep , Shopping.
Proverbs 27:17” Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his
friend, to show rage or worthy purpose.”
Countenance (oxford) Facial expression.
1 Corinthians 12 :27 “Now you collectively are Christ’s body and individually you
are members of it, each part severally and distinct, each with its own place and
function.”
(4) Praise
We have been reconciled back to God
John 15:16 “You have not chosen me I have chosen you, and I have appointed
you, I have planted you.”
John 15:19 “I have chosen you out of the world.”
Ephesians 1:5 “ For he Foreordained us, destined us, planned in love for us to be
adopted, revealed as his own children through Jesus Christ in accordance with
the purpose of his will.”
1 Peter 4:11” We are to praise God in all things.”
Even when we may be low in spirits or feeling down we are to offer a sacrifice of
praise
Hebrews 13:15 “Through him therefore, let us constantly and at all times offer up
to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge
and confess and glorify his name.”
(5)Prayer
Did the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to preach as well as he did ....NO
Did the disciples ask for the power to perform miracles...........NO
It was his prayer life , his communion with the Father, that they longed to know
Luke 11:1 “lord teach us to pray.”
Matthew 7:7 & 8 “ Keep on asking and it will be given you; Keep on seeking and
you will find; keep on knocking ,reverently and the door will be opened to you. 8
For everyone who keeps asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds;
and to him who keeps on knocking, the door will be opened.”
John 16:24 “Up to this time you have not asked a single thing in my name, as
presenting all that I am; but now ask and keep on asking and you will receive so
that your joy, gladness and delight may be full and complete.”
1 Timothy 2:1 to 4 ” First of all, then I admonish and urge that petitions, prayers,
intercessions, and thanksgiving’s be offered on behalf of all men. 2 for kings and
all who are in positions of authority or high responsibility, that outwardly we may
pass a quiet and undisturbed life, and inwardly a peaceable one in all goodness
and reverence and seriousness in every way. 3 For such praying is good and
right, and it is pleasing to God our saviour, 4 who wishes all men to be saved and
increasingly to perceive and recognise and discern and know precisely and
correctly the devine truth.”
FIVE POINTS
(1) Gods Word (2) Sharing our faith (3) Fellowship (4) praise (5) Prayer
Gods Word(1)if by spending time in gods word is So that the man of God may be
complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Then I guess that if we don’t spend any time in the word we will be Incomplete,
and lessproficient , ill fitted and unequipped and good for nothing.
If you feel you can’t get into the word ,or feel something stops you ( tell your
pastor ask for help)
Sharing our faith(Satan can not stop the kingdom of God from Expanding
God won’t stop it.
You can
You can stop it by not sharing what you have.
There is no such thing as the gift of evangelism
Some are called to be an evangelists
We all are to evangelise the lost
Any one can work hard, any one with pride can do an excellent job, anyone can
do good things for others, anyone can be happy all day.
Only those who adhere to , Trust in , and relies on Christ can declare openly and
speak out freely their faith. 2 Timothy 1:7 “for God did not give us a spirit of fear”
Fellowship(3) When we do come, are we on time , or do we walk in late and
disturb everyone, Interrupt the speaker, is God not worthy of our punctuality. Do
we come with expectancy. Do we arrive ready , willing ,and open
Praise(4)Is our cell phone more important than getting closer to God.
Is our cell phone turned off or right in the middle of praise and worship are you
going to stop praising God and leave the room to chat.
Turn it off before you enter , If it’s so important God will turn it back on for you.
Praise cant be made up, if it’s not from the heart it not praise. Are you able to
praise God with your heart or do you wish you were somewhere else when the
singing starts. does it hurt you to sing praises to God . Do you find it nearly
impossible to sing praises . You know who you are , the person next to you
knows who you are, and the worship teams who see your faces know who you
are.
*2Chronicals 20:22 King Jehoshaphat
“ As they began to sing and praise, the lord set ambushes against the men of
Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah and they were all
defeated. “
Prayer(4)Ezekiel 22:30 “And I sought a man among them who should build up
the wall and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it,
but I found none.”
2 Chronicles 7:14 “ If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble
themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from
their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their
land.
