Greater is He In Me!

1 John 4: 4

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

One of my all time favorite Gaither Vocal Band songs is…. “Greater Is He In Me”

The lyrics of the chorus go like this….

Greater—Greater, greater is He in me.

I’m singing—I’m shouting, I’m happy and I’m free.

I’m a soldier, In an army, that never has known defeat.

Greater—Greater, greater is He in me….

Is that how you feel?

I’m amazed that Jesus is inside of me, and that He’s also greater than anything in this whole wide world.

I can’t speak for you, but for me, that brings me a great sense of awe and wonder.

Jesus overcame every hint of darkness at the cross.

It’s when we doubt that, that we begin to minimize His greatness.

The devil just thinks he’s great—but the difference is, is that Jesus KNOWS He’s greater!

Life got you down?

Maybe you need to focus on the greatness of a great Savior.

Remember that John said we are God’s children, and because He’s so great—we’re also great over comer’s….   

Sacrificial Participation!

Galatians 2: 20

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Participation in the local church is self sacrificial.

It is a crucifixion of our own desires and plans.

We no longer live for ourselves, but for the Christ we are now one with, in faith.

Our unity and relationship with other Christian believers, is hammered out as a result of our union in Christ.

Maybe when we don’t feel a part of the church, it’s because we’ve not yet become united with the brethren.

When our spiritual life becomes dry, maybe we should stop and ask God, how He wants us to participate.

Being in the church, and being a part of the church are two totally different things.

We’re not part of the church, until we become actively engaged in the church.

When our agendas are still the rule, it could be that we’ve still not come the end of us yet.

It is only through Jesus Christ, that we begin to participate with God in discipleship, community and mission.

Do you still feel like you’re on the outside looking in, in your church?

Then maybe we need to really come in.

Maybe our spiritual life is stale, because we’ve not exercised our God given gift yet.

It is in active participation with the triune God, and other Christ centered followers, that we find wholeness and fulfillment in the faith….

Worry Warts

Matthew 6: 31

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.”

 

So if we believe that Jesus said this, why are we so slow to adhere to this command?

We worry if we’d made the right choice about a job, or what we’re going to do after graduation.

Worry overwhelms us in loss of job or when health issues creep in, or when a marriage is not working out.

There are times we even justify worrying.

 

I wonder what might happen, if we focused on the words… “do not”?

If Jesus thought that worrying was worth it, do you think He’d issue such a command?

 

What if we did this? What if we turned our worry into worship?

What if we’d turn our worry into prayer?

 

Worry is a pretty common practice even among Christians.

For some of us, it’s even a favorite pastime!

 

Worry tells us what we think about the character of God.

Worry says that we don’t trust in God. I’m pretty sure worry is a sin.

 

So if it is, why do some of us spend more time worrying, than we do trusting God?

If you are a child of the most High God, then by definition you have a Heavenly Father.

Maybe we need to trust in Him, more than we worry……

Radical Living!

Isaiah 37: 32 (NLT)

For a remnant of my people will spread out from Jerusalem, a group of survivors from Mount Zion. The passion of the LORD Almighty will make this happen!

 

I find it amazing, how much chaos a small minority of people can bring to a culture.

The Boston bombers as their now known as, inflicted terror and fear in the hearts of millions of people.

Literally, a nation of people stood vigil near their TV sets, to watch the take down unfold.

 

The words of the prophet Isaiah, talks about a small group of people, coming out of Zion to bring a message of great hope.

It was a message that brought much fruit to the Kingdom of God.

 

Can you imagine what a group of Christians could do, if they had just a little of the Lord’s passion?

It is possible that people would take notice?

Why let all these left wing radical terrorists have all the headlines.

As sick as it sounds, the bombers did have passion—you’ve got to give them that.

 

Maybe that’s what we need.

A radical group of people, radically loving people to Christ.

A passionate display for the whole world to see.

 

I’m a little tired of evil dominating the scope of media in this world.

It’s high time that believer’s in Christ—the called remnant—start to get more serious about affecting the culture.

We have a message of great hope, and it’s time we witness that kind of Kingdom fruit, instead of the rotten kind we’re getting used to seeing…..

Earnestly!

Acts 12: 5

So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

 

I love those words….. “but the church was earnestly praying…”

Peter was in prison one minute, and then out the next.

Why was that? Because the church was praying like they meant it!

I have a feeling they were not praying silently in some circle.

 

When the church prays earnestly, that’s what happens.

People get healed—jail cells become unlocked—the wayward child returns home—the broken marriage becomes mended.

Jailers even get saved!!

 

Do you really expect God to answer your prayer?

Somehow I have the feeling, that if we knew a believer in Christ who was falsely imprisoned today—we’d probably start a prison ministry, instead of praying.

What God wants us to do, is pray in faith believing.

 

How would our prayer life be different, if we focused on God, instead of the problem?

I’d bet we’d see more people delivered from sin and disease than we do.

 

We really have to pray with our eyes on God, and not the difficulty.

As our church enters this early morning prayer & fast discipline today, maybe we should keep this idea in mind?

 

The only way to find God is in prayer—and the only way to a miracle, is through earnest, and faith-filled prayer….offered to a God just waiting to bring an answer…..

Are you one bit bothered?

Luke 11: 7

"Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.”

Jesus was teaching on prayer one day, and He used this illustration.

A man actually came to a neighbor, looking for bread to feed a friend who was traveling through his city.

The person was already in bed, and said and I quote…. “Don’t bother me....I can’t get up and give you anything!”

During Adult Sunday school in church yesterday, we had a great conversation about Missions and about making disciples.

So it begs the question… Are we one bit bothered that 57% of all Americans don’t go to church at all during the year?

Are we one bit bothered that there are more people below the poverty level in India, than live in the US?

Does it bother us that over 2/3^rds of the rest of the world, live on $2.00 per day or less?

Somehow I have to believe, that if it really bothered us, we’d find a way to do something about the problem.

And yet we think that by taking the attitude that it’s someone else’s problem, we think God will be OK with that.

Seriously church friends, do we really understand that most American cats and dogs eat better than most of the poorest people in the world?

Are we really OK with that? And if we are, isn’t that then our collective attitude….. “Don’t bother me!”

If it is, then as frank as I can be—that really bothers me.

What will bother you so much this week, that you’ll rise to the challenge, to make a difference?

The old time comic, W.C. Fields used to say….. “Go away Kid, ya bother me—ya bother me…”

By not being involved, isn’t that what we’re sometimes saying

Just Say It!

Jeremiah 1: 17

"Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them.”

I think one of the hardest things for me when I preach, are the facial expressions shared by some in the audience.

I also know that I’m intimated by a few comments I get from folks, about the nature of Sunday morning messages.

I even consider heading in different doctrinal directions, when people’s beaks get bent a certain way.

God told the prophet Jeremiah, to say it just as He told him to say it.

If you study the Word long enough, you know that Jesus, nor did the prophets spare the horses when it came to telling the truth.

I realize that’s not popular in the church anymore. It’s probably even considered out of touch or even old fashioned.

People get easily offended, and even leave churches when the truth is expounded upon.

I had an old preacher friend of mine tell me one day that he believed the church has been way too nice—for way too long.

And yet God tells us, that we should not be frightened by people who gripe about the content of a sermon.

Actually He said, that we should be terrified of His response—if we don’t tell it like it is.

I have to really weigh my life this way…. “Do I want to please man, or the God who saved me?”

Don’t the events that happened in Boston on Monday, get you to think even just a little bit?

If they don’t, then we’re not paying enough attention to the depravity of our current culture.

If it’s all the same to you, I have to keep doing things and saying things as the Father brings revelation and conviction.

I also need to be keep in mind, that I will be judged by God one day—and not by people…..