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All In | Week Four | Sermon Notes
ALL IN | Week Four
We are going ALL IN! A decision that changes everything. This could be the moment that changes your life forever! The right direction tomorrow begins with the right decision today.
If you are just getting back to church in 2014, we want to welcome you to go All In with us! Come and Follow Christ with us!
We are accustomed to “Following” – social media. I’m in. I’m out. I’m in. I’m out. I “like you” because you might could help me out.
Following Christ is completely different.
I have Decided To Follow Jesus – The lyrics are based on the last words of a man in Assam, north-east India, who along with his family was converted to Christianity in the middle of the 19th century through the efforts of a Welsh missionary. He was called to renounce his faith by the village chief. His response, “I have decided to follow Jesus”. In response to threats to his family, he continued, “Though no one joins me, still I will follow.” After his wife was executed for her faith, he was being led to his death, the man declared, “The cross before me, the world behind me.” This display of faith is reported to have led to the conversion of the chief and others in the village.
Mark 8:34 If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross (Luke added the word ‘Daily’) and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
We are a big church with a lot of people on different parts of the faith journey. We continually want you to take this following seriously.
As a pastor, it’s my job to show you what it looks like. Where ever you are…find yourself and take the next step.
When you loose your life, you will find it. If you continue to save your life, you will loose it.
Rick Warren broke down the steps like this:
- Crowd – “Come and See”
first appeal from Jesus was to the “crowd” – everybody come and see. Free coffee, take care of your kids, hangout, low commitment. Jesus did the same thing. Jesus first message to Peter was ‘come and see’. He filled his boat full of fish! Jesus was appealing to the crowd (miracles).
Take a few months if you need to. To see if this is what you want to do, don’t give, don’t serve. Just come see. THEN, there is a point when the next step is join:
- Congregation– “Come and Join”
- First: Join JESUS! I want to be in the family of God! Follow him. Trust in His good news.
- Second: Join PSM. When you join Jesus it is natural to join a church! Let me just say something that most pastors probably wont say. “I know you are not always going to be here.” My job is not to get you to stay at PromiseLand San Marcos. You are going to move, die, change churches, whatever. My job is not to keep you here. My job is to outline the way while you are here. So, here is the point, if you are here, JOIN UP. This is not a lifelong commitment, but it is a commitment. While I am here in San Marcos, I will be a part of a local congregation. Learn from, be accountable to, serve in, give to. At some point, join up with the group and be a part. Next week is 101.
- Committed – “Come and Grow”
Salvation and joining a church is not the end of the line, it is the beginning of the journey!
Maybe that means to start reading the Bible on regular basis. Go on the City and find a daily reading schedule.
Join a PromiseGroup.
Dig into the 21 day prayer and fasting thing. If you don’t know how to pray, then just come and watch others pray. Get a prayer guide and let us show you.
We are inviting you to go to the next level. Jump in on the Growth Track 101, Essentials 201, Discover 301
Holy Ghost week 4 | Sermon Notes
We began by reading Ephesians 5:1-18
Ephesians 5:15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. 18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,
Many quit going to church and being involved because they get tired of the weight. When they are conscience of God, they are conscience of their mistakes and the weight of sin. And they get tired of trying not to sin and feeling that heaviness.
Our resolution is the indwelling and fullness of the Spirit. Without the Spirit of God we see ourselves being shaped into the form of the world around us. With His Spirit we are built into His image.
The original Greek language there is “Present imperative” – a command that you keep on doing. It is not just something that you do, but something that you keep pursuing because this moment is present and then the next moment is present and then three months from now is present.
Keep on being filled with the Spirit…
Let’s talk about 5 Reasons The Bible reveals to be filled and keep filled.
1. God’s completes His purpose for you by His power in you.
Jesus calls us to receive the Holy Spirit in John 14. He uses the word: Comforter- we often think this is only when we are sad or won out we need him, however, the primary definition of comforter is: “God comes beside us, to work in us, in ways that will bring through us, things that wouldn’t be otherwise.”
There is not anyone in this room that is sufficient to bear the burden of life or our calling in and of him or herself.
Not only does God bring His Spirit to help us with the task at hand, but that task at hand opens us up new possibilities of giftings.
The Holy Ghost empowered me to teach today. In return, the teaching is doing it’s own work in your heart. The work has its own life and power. In other words, the first miracle is that a shy little boy is up here leading and teaching. The second miracle is that the teaching and leadership will produce in your life.
Not enough in us + humility + God’s sufficiency = multiplied layers of miracles.
We discover gifts and giftings that are unique to us through his Spirit. There is endless need and there is endless creativity available in Him.
2. God replicates His life in each of us.
BOTH | Sermon Notes
BOTH.
The world and especially the church is full of Dichotomies. Dichotomy – division into two mutually exclusive, opposed, or contradictory groups “Either/Or Thinking”
There are Divine Dichotomies. Meaning that we have a choice to make. God clearly says it can not be both. Life or Death. It can’t be both.
Deuteronomy 30 “I hope that you choose life.” Either or but not both.
Matthew 6:24 Jesus said, “You can’t serve two masters. You will love one and hate the other. You can not serve God and Money.” Divine Dichotomy. It is either/or.
However, today we are going to talk about Dumb Dichotomies. One truth placed against another truth. A pressure situation. We have to deny one truth in order to accept the other.
With the world that we live in you are exposed to many different churches and truths of the Bible. There are so many different varieties and styles.
Rather than embracing the tension, the ambiguity, the versatility and the BIGNESS of what God is doing. You are tempted to go one way or the other.
Today, lets ponder the idea that maybe God is bigger than what you can figure out!
When we find a particular revelation and connect deeply with a particular scripture. It is tempting to set up camp on that text or that characteristic of God.
Thinking that we are really magnifying God by sticking with this one particular attribute or characteristic of God. However, we actually shrink God down to something smaller with our dumb separations.
We create unnecessary dichotomies in methodology or theology rather than embracing the bigness of what God is doing.
God is actually bigger than we think and big enough for BOTH. God is so much bigger than what our minds can shape and conform Him into. The box that we have put him in. When I was a kid we even sang the Song: Little Red Box
You want to play baseball or football? BOTH Do you want to play offense or defense? BOTH Do you want meat lovers or stuff crust pizza? BOTH Do you want 15 or 20 million? BOTH
The Apostle Paul was the Deon of the NT. He had dichotomies put in front of him all the time, and Paul picked BOTH
Baptism Candidates
We are focusing on baptisms this week at PromiseLand San Marcos and expect many to be baptized. We are praying.
Why and for what reason are we lifting up prayers?
First Wednesday Worship Aug ’10
Last night was a night of records. I’m not for sure but that looked like a record crowd for a First Wednesday service. The offering was a record for a FWW. The Worship team was a great combination of different players and singers. Tbear on keys, John (new member) on drums…
Natasha did a great job with 62 elementary kids! Pastor Ani Simonson from Nigeria spoke a great word on unforgiveness and how that can hinder your relationship with God. Then, we prayed with many people. Four people were baptized (including 3 18yrs or younger). It felt like a summer camp service for the whole church. It lasted 3 hours and 8 minutes. Afterward, we went outside and ate cold, sweet watermelon in the hot summer night air. If you missed it, then we will gather again on Sunday at 9am, 11am, and 6pm. Join the family.
Robin Steele 