Sunday, December 31, 2006

 

Announcements - Rick Maule
Church Basketball League - e-mail Corrie McClary @ corriemcclary@thecharlottechurch.org
Teens here - teen bash -- Columbia, Triangle, Fayetteville
Blood Drive -  1/6/07 -- Church office
2007 Marriage Retreat   2/23 - 2/25 Triangle  hand-outs in the foyer
Prayer:   Denise Brown's family - her sister died on Friday
Gen 1:14-18   Let there be light . . .
Every 365 days - reset button, start with a new year
Hand-out - what matters most for 2007   Gal 5:6   "faith expressing itself through love"   general theme throughout 2007
We want to be a church expressing itself as faith through love in 2007; set our hearts to listen to God

 

Mike Dames -- The Bait of Satan
fishing -- need the right bait
Jesus fishes for men - but Satan fishes for men, too
While we're home sleeping at night, Satan is plotting with his friends, deciding which bait to use
If you've ever had someone offend you -- stand up (everyone stood up)
offense will mess your heart up
symptoms:
o cross the room to not talk to you
o used to be joyful, now sober & quiet around you
Probably been offended by you

Jesus' miracles didn't push them to the brink of doubt
Luke 17:3-5 (the Message translation)
Miracles didn't cause the apostles to ask for more faith, but the people who they needed to forgive
Luke 17:1   everyone will be offended

To be a successful hunter:   the trap must be hidden; the trap must be baited
Satan can even disguise himself as a messenger of the light
We must be able to discern the light from the darkness
Offended people feel anger, envy, hatred
Results in wounding, broken relationships, betrayal

Time to move past offenses, dig into God's word, ask yourself if you are obeying God's word -- am I doing this?
If I am trying to please God, I need to study out God's word on this subject, these words, and make sure I understand God's word and not just what I think it says
1 Cor 8:1  knowledge puffs up, love builds up

Living free from the deadly trap of offense
So many are snarled by Satan's bait, they think this is a normal way to live but it is not, it is not what God wants for us
John 13:35  love one another

1)  Offense is deceptive
Luke 17
Mike has a character sin - offending people when he walks in the room; controlling, rub people the wrong way
show him his sin, give him scripture, and he will repent
trap of offense makes you feel betrayed
Ps 55:12-14  friends betray, not foes
the closer the relationship, the greater the offense
Worst wars on earth are civil wars
We expect more from these people, you've given more of yourself to them
that's selfish and conditional love
philio - easy love, friends -- if you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours
agape - unconditional love, no expectations of receiving love back
God commands agape love
even if they spit us in the face, God commands us to love back
Definition of Love -- 1 Cor 13   love is patient, not self-seeking
This is a good litmus test to see if you are obeying God's words
Two categories
1 -- those treated unjustly
2 -- those who believe they were treated unjustly

2)  Satan can use our pride to blind us to our heart's condition
Someone did something to mess us up -- they ask:   "is everything ok?"  we say "I'm fine"    still have ugly thoughts -- who's fault is that?
if they ask us but we won't tell them, it's our own sin -- it's pride
2 Tim 2:24-26   Lord's servant must not quarrel
pride causes us to view ourselves as victims -- we withhold forgiveness
Cure:   Rev 3:14-20 
vs. 17  wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked
we think we are good
we think we are doing well spiritually - but we are using our own measure, not God's
Rev 3:18   heat gold up to 700 degrees to get gold to melt, impurities (sin) rise to the top because the gold is heavier than the impurities
Until God heats us up to the boiling point through trials, we don't see our own impurities either, then they rise to the top
Is 48:10  God refines us
Get ready for the trials, they will come
He is trying to get you to deal with the impurities that are invisible to us but are visible to him
When we are offended by a stranger, it doesn't hurt us as much as when it's a family member, brother or sister in  Christ
feels like someone is choking the life out of you
on the cross - look at what happened to Jesus before that, abandoned by his friends
Mt 5:44  love your enemies
1 Peter 2:21-23  Christ suffered for us, leaving an example to us

 

Frank Radcliff
Elders asked the staff to make plans for 2007
3 John 2  John's an old man talking to a friend
1st part -- health -- he was older, more physical issues when 50+
2nd part -- go well with you in general - deal with situations
3rd part -- your soul getting along well
As we end 2006 - how is your soul getting along?
As we fellowship - we talk about football, different things
How often do we talk about our inward self - our soul?
Greek -- inward man, breath, the seat of who we really are
As we prepare for 2007 -- how are we?   How is it inside for you?   are you connected and in touch with God

1)  Protect your soul
Prov 22:5   he who guards his soul stays far away from them
in my daily life - how am I doing protecting my soul? 
1st he talks about evil people -- people separate from God are the evil people (not just rapists and murderers)
am I choosing relationships that are protecting my soul or causing me to sin?
Need to choose good relationships
2nd part - thorns and snares --we all have things that test us
Frank's family teases him about his Netflix movie list -- they say all are movies about a boy and his dog -- most are sappy and never nominated for an Oscar
They encourage him to be better -- violent movies don't encourage him - they corrupt his soul

2)  He will restore your soul
Psalm 23: 2-3  
promise that God will restore our souls - David expresses a lot about his soul -- soul downcast and weary
in 2006 - Frank has had times where he's weary, he's tired inside
What do you do when that's the case?
We can't fix our own souls -- just like we can't save ourselves
How many husbands have tried to fix their wives emotions?   It doesn't work
Need to put ourselves in a position every day where God can restore us
"He lets me lie down in green pastures"   he doesn't make me do it
Do I eat the good food and drink the good drink with God?   or do I hit snooze? 
Frank developed a great habit of quiet times in college.   They haven't always been inspiring, but they're every day.
It's not just the habit of the regular times, you can have special times
Ps 23 - green pastures and quiet waters
That was what worked for David
There is a spot on the Blue Ridge Parkway that makes Frank close to God -- being there early to see the sun rise and praying all day; he tries to go there every year
They once had an all night prayer with his family - Frank prayed alone first and last hours, prayed with each member of his family for one hour in the middle of the night -- the family remembers that, it was a special time with God