Sermon Central
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You Matter To God.
Contributed by Billy Ricks on Dec 4, 2004 (message contributor)
Summary: The world bases our worth off its value system. It depends on what we want in a career, relationships, etc. . But our worth can be found as treasures of God.
Roxycraft.com
I put the emphasis on “what you want” for a reason. Most of us have no clue of what we want. You need to ask yourself that question over and over again until something rings true.
Miss Roxy and a select group of people in the United States are saying. Find out what you want to make yourself valued.
Our values and worth in America are tied to
Our abilities, Our attributes (appearance), Our Talents, Our Treasures, Our Possessions, Our Position, Our Name, Our Notoriety.
Have you noticed a problem with what I have just said.
The Problem if you were listening closely to the words I just said lies in the pronoun. This is the only time I want you to turn a pro into a con.
The problem in trying to find value, worth, or importance in our life is misplaced on us.
Gods voice instead speaks life through Christ Jesus and tells us we have value to value to Him!
Whether we matter to the world or not we Matter to God.
I. We are God’s Valued Possession, (Treasure)
A) God’s own possession
1) Hebrew word pronounced cegullah, seg-ool-law’
2) It means to be a valued property, peculiar treasure, or treasure.
a) Look at description of Israel as treasure/possession
Deuteronomy 7.6, 14.2, 26.18, Ps 135.4; Malachi 3.17.
3) The people of Israel were to be His valued possession if they - -
a) Obeyed His voice
b) And kept His covenant.
4) How can we connect Israel as a treasure to the church today.
B) Writing is on the wall of you heart.
1) Isaiah 61.6 calls Israel a holy nations of priests.
2) 1 Peter (we saw this morning) Peter calls the Christian believers a holy nation of priests. (Our spiritual heritage from Israel)
3) Jeremiah 31.31-34 Israel broke 1st Covenant.
1) 2nd is by Grace God keeps it
2) Will write God’s law on their hearts.
Transition: God writes His name of ownership on our hearts.
II. Treasure Has to Be near its Owner.
A) Access to God
1) Ephesians 3.11-12 (Confident Access)
2) Access to the Kingdome mean
a) Access to His power
b) Access to His person
c) Access to His pardon
3) Promise of His Presence
a) Given to Abraham, Moses, Joshua, on an on.
b) One of the Greatest Promises in all the bible.
4) The Access to God brings nearness to His Holiness.
a) This reveals our sinfulness
b) Isaiah, Job, John.
Transition 5) Once God reveals the blemishes through His holiness.
a) He begins to polish off the spots of sin.
b) pride, lust, hate, greed, anger, all the spots
III. Treasure Has to Be polished.
A) Sculptor (Creates a work of art) (Illustration)
1) Selects clay
2) Makes form of the object
3) Puts in Minor Details
4) Bakes it to set the Sculpture
B) God is the Sculptor Isaiah 64.8
1) He makes
2) He owns
C) Treasure can loose its sparkle with the trials of time.
1) Has to be touched up.
2) Has to have constant Care
a) Constitution
b) Declaration of Independence
c) Paintings – Van Gogh, Michaelangelo
for some West choppers creations.
3) Polishing can however be painful
a) For the treasure to really shine it is essential.
b) For the value to show through
c) You must take the chance of a small piece being lost
in order to keep the whole. (habits, pet peves etc.)
d) Restoration sometimes destroys the treasure.
Transition: Situations in life and how we respond to them are used by God to polish us up so that others can see His work in and on us.
IV. Treasure Has to Be seen.
A) Treasure is usually displayed in a Musem.
1) People have different reactions – Some moved others disgusted.
2) Matt 6.14 you are the light of the world.
3) World is our museum 4) Life is our pedestal.
B) God’s treasure is us.
1) “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Corinthians 4:7).
2) Practical as well as pretty (used to reach others)
3) Each piece of treasure has a different story to tell (testimony)
4) Value is found in the desire of the treasure (God’s desire to have
and others desire to be His treasure.)
God desired so much to have us as His treasure He purchased us.
V. Treasure usually Has to Be purchased.
A) Jesus purchased our Pardon
1) Ephesians 1.7
2) Redeemed = bought with a price (A high Price) (Redeemed How I love to proclaim it.)
3) Destroyed our debt
1) We were in hock to sin
2) Now we are Free to follow Him.
Conclusion: There is good news tonight!
