SERMON: WAKE UP CALL!
INTRODUCTION: Petra Song - "Sleeping Giant" What is needed to wake up?... TRANSITIONAL STATEMENT: God will not let us go, even if we displease Him. He will accept you, even when your useless. Is that what you want? To live the majority? to be a casual christian? Lukewarm? Weak, without power of faith? Or do you want to be fired up, powerful and making your Father Smile. The most poweful people for God past, were always the same ones that pleased Him most! We have an enemy, a hostile world, and cantankorous christians to deal with. We don't need another distraction or enemy so lets get past ourselves and wake up to God's commands, each others needs & a lost world!! 1. SELF-SACRIFICE: 1John 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. This modern world believes that in order for one to have self-fulfillment or self-realization -"One must feel like their life is worthy." The cross is in direct opposition to that understanding. We are to take up our cross daily and to prove we are no longer our own. To the world this notion is offensive and out of fashion. Yet, there is a another threat to Christians, it is the counterfeit that comes with being abandoned to what is known as "Service", but it is our own made up version. We say we are going to spend our lives for God. We are going to walk our talk. We claim this area for Jesus Christ. We claim that we are going to do anything or everything except the one thing He has asked us to do.. Matthew 10: 39. He who finds his life will lose it , and whoever loses his life on My account will find it...Give up my right to my Self and give that self to Him. "Oh but surely Christian service is a right thing?" Yes, but it is not the right thing if you have not given that self to Christ first. If you have truly received the Holy Spirit, it is not something that might have happened. It is something that should rise up from within with intense fervor for oneness with Him. It not only means giving up the bad things, the bad language, the half truths, it also means giving the things that are good, for those that are "best". If you have to sit down to contemplate what you are willing to give up for Jesus Christ, don't ever say you love Him, you have already drawn a line between your Self and Him. Jesus will always ask that you give up what seems best. That includes specifically the right to your self. We've seen people missing, how many have taken time to go after those who haven't been around awhile? How about the many in Fox Creek just ready and rarin to go to hell? Vacatoin times are comin, I hope their in the priority. I like to pray for people, but this only the 1st step in loving. Hear the Word, now GO and get them. 1Co 9:19 For though I be free from all [men], yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. How many people have you hurried through instead of offer help, invite them to church, see if they want a coffee? You can not witness while thinking your in any way better than them! To be Christ's servant, you must be their servant! As said on Wednesday, if you choose to do what you want over an opportunity to share the gospel at any stage, you've told that person to "go to hell"! Self wants comfort, comfort wants no sacrifice or restrictions. You cannot stay a Christian without sacrifice of self for God. Our church will not grow without sacrifice of self for others. You will not prosper in blessing without sacrifice of self for your brothers. To build we must now love in deed those who we're praying for. 1Co 15:34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak [this] to your shame. Are you satisfied with word alone? Will you ask God to wkae you to action? 2. SELF-FIGHT: 1John 3:20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. No matter how long you've been a Christian or how holy you've truly gotten, their will always be one thing that will frighten you, and should frighten you - GOD. If nothing else does, great! But when our hearts condemn us, it is because we've sinned. Are we condemned? No, God is greater and knows what we're capable of thanks to His Son! We're capable of what He's capable!! 1Jo 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. Yet, when we've sinned the fear of God is turned from respect to dread of reaping Which we will do, most of the time. Not death but consequences. Then fear has a welcome mat on your front door, because God can let it in, because your sin unlocked the door! Then our prayers become feeble, and difficult. Then our faith shrinks in its confidence in what God will do, for we chose curse over blessing Chose. Remember that we never fall into sin, nor does it grab us in overbearing power,Christ has freed us.1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.So every single little sin is by choice. Oh yeah and every little sin is not little!Now when we pray,our confidence is weak and our faith powerless. Your still a Christian but a weak one. This will inhibit your effectiveness in going past love in word. If loving in tongue gets difficult, never mind loving in deed! Lu 22:42 (Jesus) saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. 43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. The cycle has been broke by some One who chose to sacrifice Self for us all! We must choose to use that power and not our own power! Condemnation doesn't defeat us, thanks to God, but it is a weakening, limiting factor and also a warning light that your running low on Oil!! Thank God He is greater than our heart, but how about taking sin for sin and stop, then and only then do we grow in maturity and His power to do!1Co 15:34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak [this] to your shame. Felt your hearts condemning? Felt your faith weaken? Your assuredness of God dissapear? Do you realize His power even in your failure? Do so and then stop! He has more for you! 3. SELF-CONTROL: 1John 3:21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, [then] have we confidence toward God. This is where we want to be! This is true strength and the only way to confidence and growing faith. We need to make an all out assault on the devil and ourselves.The destruction of strongholds and the promise for determination in discipline. A desire to hate the sin and love the people in our lives.3 choices: 1. Not a Christian 2. A weak Christian 3. A Good and Faithful Servant! 1Co 9:26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27 But I give blows to my body, and keep it under control, for fear that, after having given the good news to others, I myself might not have God's approval. If the Apostle Paul is questioning his approval rates with God?!We must refuse to let our comfort distract our true mission, responsibility and calling. Live godly and share the gospel. Hand in hand are these two. Paul here, after talking of preaching talks of personal discipline. He runs with certainty. Confidence of a heart clear of condemnig! The great Commission is not for evangelists and missionaries. It is for any who call themselves a disciple! Which means disciplined follower of Christ. When we think of Jesus and all the power He had, is it for Him alone? Elijah? Paul? What is it that makes us so impotent in comparison? Sin and Distraction. Lu 7:47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, [the same] loveth little. A man's love to God will be in proportion to the obligation he feels to him for forgiveness. God is to be loved for his perfections, apart from what he has done for us. But still it is proper that our love should be increased by a consideration of his goodness; and they who feel--as Christians should--that they are the chief of sinners, will feel under infinite obligation to love God and their Redeemer, and that no expression of attachment to him can be beyond what is due. How much have you been forgiven? Appreciation and faith are like Oxygen and water.Thankfulness will increase your faith, the longer you dwell on whats He's done, the more it fills your mind of faith and to please Him. For your sin is as bad as it has always been and cannot be ignored because its become habit, common, familiar, whatever. Sometimes I think even some Christian don't believe in hell or heaven, for niether seems to spur them out of the sleep of comfort or sin. Jesus set us free to free others not to watch us struggling in chains! Do you really comprehend your salvation's greatness? When our heart is free of condemnation, we have confidence. With that, we no longer undermine our own faith in God. Then we may truly love. Only then. Want to know why there are so many weak Christians around, they're too busy fighting there own heart of condemnation. Another distraction from gaining power to do what we're called. Too many comfortable in sins bed. Too lazy to pray, too busy to serve, too afraid to witness, too condemned to have any confidence in their God's power! Keith Green Song - "Asleep In The Light". Yes it is good to have God be greater than our condemning. But it is better to have the confidence to prove it!1Co 15:34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak [this] to your shame. Will you choose confidence? Will you engage the full power He's given you for Him? Will you take the wake up call? CONCLUSION: We must improve our faith to share it properly. There is a God and He will not leave you nor forsake nor shame you. He wants to show Himself powerful on your behalf! For His name! Its time to wake up! Fox Creek is the same as Edmonton, New York, Paris, Bangladesh etc. Going to hell in a hand basket. And your mission is the same here as anywhere! We can't save them, but we can give them the option. Thats all God is asking from us. To wake up is to commune with God to assure your heart. Then to act on that confident faith by service and witness, then repeat! Wash, rinse repeat! Everything works in cycles, either to lull you to sleep and what you want, as Paul says in our text to truly wake up is to stop sinning, because of this sinful sleep their is no witness happening. Choose the Wake up cycle to sober and motivate yourself for God!1Co 15:34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak [this] to your shame. Not to condemn, but to motivate. The alter is where you answer the wake up call, let condemnation end and confidence start!
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