Standing In The Crowd?

Standing in the Crowd?

Talk about vision

Having vision/sense of purpose- important for people-

it is a natural part of life,

it gives us a sense of why we were created.

When there is no vision/redemptive revelation of God

people flounder, their lives lack purpose (Pr 29:18).

As a church I want us to have a sense of purpose.

Our mission as a church is described by- six words

(IN YOUR NOTES):

Encounter God, Love People, Share Life

We want COTRM to be a place where people

ENCOUNTER GOD,

where they experience divine revelation,

an unveiling of who Christ is.

learn to LOVE PEOPLE,

we want to build community and

the importance of “one another.”

SHARE LIFE with others,

who know how to be salt and light,

maturity speaks of- ability- reproduce life.

Looking back over- past year: (IN YOUR NOTES):

God gave us four principles to live by

1. Live your life with purpose

God created man to be significant/to have purpose-

live life with a sense of the eternal in our hearts.

2. God’s Word is true today

God is working miracles today just as He did in the NT-

the supernatural is to be a natural part of life.

3. Expect Increase

We have been given the life of God and we can expect an increase in the presence/power/work in our lives.

4. Advance in Adversity

Adversity- not a time to draw back- opportunity to move ahead as- learn- trust God in- circumstances.

God gave 3 words- declare prophetically over COTR

(IN YOUR NOTES):

Excitement, Expectation, Enthusiasm

Excitement- is to be awakened, energized, and called into divine activity.

Expectation- reach forward with faith and believe the impossible can become the possible.

Enthusiasm- is to believe that God wants to reveal Himself to us through the work of His HS.

(Pray for this to be released!)

Review

We asked our self this question

Are we Professors or Possessors of God’s life?

It is one thing to profess that we are Christians and another to possess that reality, to live that reality.

God has called us to be both- Professors/Possessors.

We looked at- story of Joshua- revisit Josh 3:1-5

The Ark represented the presence of God.

God- taking Israel where they had never been before.

They would need to keep their eye on the Ark- keep their eye on what God was doing to be successful.

As we God takes us into places we have not been before, important we keep our eyes on Him.

Digging Deeper into the story of Joseph

Pastor Tony’s HC- reviewing- Digging Deeper insert- for last week- Chelle T had- profound insights.

We will post her insights on the church blog this week.

($30 gift certificate to Carrabbas- post blog comment)

Joshua- very interesting personality in the Bible.

Joshua had both a profound love for God, yet he was also a mighty warrior.

Joshua demonstrated the role of both a priest/king.

When you read Joshua 3:1-5, did you see yourself from the place of the crowd standing behind the ark, or did you identify yourself standing in the position as the priest leading the people, holding the ark of the Lord?

Challenged my thinking- I saw myself in the crowd.

Once we begin to see ourselves as Priests and Kings and begin to take responsibility for the people and regions that we have been assigned to- we just may begin to see that the LORD will do wonders among us!

(IN YOUR NOTES):

Joshua pointed the way so others could live victoriously in the land God had promised them.

You and I have that same call in our lives today.

Come back to Joseph in a moment.

The house of Obed-edom

Look briefly at another man’s life- Obed-edom.

The Philistines had captured the Ark of the God and took it into one of their cities (1 Sam 5).

Dagon, the idol they worshipped, fell down and broke and the people were struck w/tumors.

They decided to return the Ark to Israel.

David decided to move the Ark to Jerusalem.

When Uzzah reached out with his hand to steady the Ark to prevent it from falling, God killed him.

David got upset- left the Ark in Obed-edom’s house.

2 Sam 6:9-11

When the enemies of God, those with an unbelieving heart, came into the presence of God it was a curse.

But in the house of Obed-edom it was a great blessing.

(IN YOUR NOTES):

The presence of God is a blessing to those whose hearts are after His heart.

As children of God we are to be carrier’s of His presence and a blessing to those open to the Lord.

God blessed Potiphar’s house on account of Joseph

Gen 39:5 It came about that from the time he made him overseer in his house and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house on account of Joseph; thus the Lord’s blessing was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field. NASU