Listen to the sermon here: http://sermon.net/fumcoutofthebox/sermonid/1199943064
Week Two: Keys To The Good Life
The Good Life Is Living By Faith In A Good God.
#1. Getting To Know The Word – I Corinthians 15: 3-4
3 I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. 4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.
This passage of scripture is the Gospel!
What exactly does it mean to be a Christian?
There is a lot of confusion in our world because some who claim to be Christian go to church and others don’t. Some are really nice to people and others aren’t. Some live good moral lives and others don’t.
What does Gods Word say it means to be a Christian?
Being a Christ Follower does not make you GOOD it makes you FORGIVEN.
God is not just a NICE guy; God is the CREATOR of the universe.
God is Holy, He will not just stand by when we sin and do nothing because sin has a penalty.
God sent Jesus to be the substitute who paid for our sin.
Rom: 6:23 The wages of sin are death but the gift of God is eternal life.
There is more to FOLLOWING God than SAYING a prayer.
Mark 1:15 Jesus says, Repent and believe in the gospel. (Repent, turn from your sin)
#2. Getting A Word – I Samuel 3; 1-11
The Word of God is LIFE to the Christian as BREATHING is to humans.
3 The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions. 2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. 6 Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” “My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 8 The Lord called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
People ask me all the time, do you believe God speaks audibly?
God is God and does what he pleases. If he wants to speak audibly to you he certainly can.
Like Samuel, you have to listen.
You have to be tuned in to hear God!
Sometimes he speaks audibly.
Sometimes he speaks through a still small voice.
Sometimes he speaks through other people.
Sometimes he speaks through circumstances.
More often than not, He speaks through His written Word.
Breathing Techniques: Prayerfully, Humbly, Carefully, Often
Prayerfully – Spending time in prayer is spending time with a person! You get to know someone by spending time with them.
Humbly – We should be ready to rearrange our lives according to what God says.
You don’t CHANGE the Word of God. The Word of God CHANGES you.
Carefully – If we really want to know God we should be willing to dig deep.
Often – I don’t know about you but I can read the Bible at 6am and be rocked by what I learn and by 11am I can forget every bit of it.
We never drift toward Jesus, we always drift away.
#3.The Word On God’s People
If we’re going to live the good life, a life of faith in a good God.
#1. We need the Gospel – Jesus died to pay the price for our sin. It’s ours for the asking but we have to really mean it.
The evidence of a changed heart is a changed life.
#2. We need a word from God – If we are going to live the Good life, we are going to have to be in relationship with, in conversation with, the God of the Universe.
#3. We need each other – the Church
Matthew 16: 13-18
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” 15 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. 18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.
Misconceptions about the CHURCH.
Church has a bad reputation!
Self-righteous hypocrites
Screaming preachers
Long Boring services
I have seen some real ugliness in church. It is usually when people get focused inward rather than outward.
It’s all about us on the inside and the church exists for those who are not here.
The CHURCH is important Biblically.
Matthew 16:16 – Jesus gave his life for the church and he intended for us to do life together.
As a church we are supposed to shine light in this dark community.
We were not designed by out creator to do life alone.
Are you ready to make a commitment to JESUS and His CHURCH?