|
|
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Announcements - Corrie McClary
He and Stefanie lead the youth and family ministry
150 teens for teen bash - starting tonight
Mt 21:18-22
Great faith in 2008 - that is the teen challenge
2008 church basketball league - call Corrie to sign up 704-947-8792 next 2 weeks
Mike Dames
1 Cor 12:12-16; 18, 20-26
We are the body of Christ, each of us is part of it
1 Cor 13:1, 4-8
after many prayers by the elders, Bill & Lisa Hamilton are coming off of staff eff. January 15th
please be in prayer for them with the job transition
God has always had a plan for Bill & Lisa Hamilton and that has not changed
Communion -- Bruno & Sam
Dt 16:2-3
Bruno: The Passover was to remember what they were saved from -- unleavened bread - the bread of affliction. The heaviness of their affliction in slavery, unpleasant bread, heavy bread.
Unlike the Israelites, we have Jesus.
1 Cor 5:7-8
yeast refers to malice, wickedness and sin
we are free from that sin with Jesus
The time of communion is to remember Jesus as our Passover Lamb
Sam: going home at Christmas, she is reminded of a lot of times when she was home and she wasn't a Christian. Her family doesn't get along - her parents and their siblings are in their fifties.
They had to have 3 separate Christmas dinners with her family, because they won't talk to each other. She can't believe how much bitterness they have, but she knows she would be the same way without Jesus. Being home reminded her of all the things she has been saved from.
Bruno: is that yeast still working from the past in our hearts?
If we're not focusing on Jesus, it can destroy us. Jesus, the bread of life, was afflicted for us.
How much do we remember that? Does Jesus know how grateful I am?
Marcus Overstreet - guest speaker today -- special friend of Bruno, in Gainesville together
He leads the teen ministry in South Florida.
Next Sunday -- Kids Kingdom here, but church is meeting across the street in Pease Auditorium.
Marcus Overstreet - known here as Lavonia's little brother
Mt 19
8 years ago - he was sitting in this audience as a Non-Christian, with a hard heart
God sought him out and hunted him down
The Charlotte Church is special to their family
Greetings and love from the Ft. Lauderdale region of the South FL church
He and his wife Amy lead the teen ministry
It was exciting to see his two nephews baptized this year - Jonathan and Justin Drabot
True success in the youth ministry is not measured by baptisms - measured 20 years from now when they are faithful disciples serving the Lord
Will we have victoriously passed on the heart of Jesus to our young people or the culture of the church?
Showing, teaching, modeling, to the youth - not just the workers but all of us
The Rich young ruler is told in Matthew, Mark and Luke
Mt 19:16-30
He grew up around the kingdom - Israel at that time, may be in line to be in the Sanhedrin, probably a teenager
Mk 10:17 he fell on his knees before Jesus
If you ask 10 people - what must I do? you would get 10 different answers
We need to get our answers from Jesus
Mark 10 and Luke 17 "good teacher"
1) No one is Good Except God Alone
We hear "so and so is a good person"
one of Satan's biggest lies
Paris Hilton, after she was arrested: "I'm a really good person. I'm down to earth. I have a big heart. I have feelings. And I'm just like everybody else."
Don Imus put his controversial comments about the Rutgers University Women's basketball team into context, saying, "I’m a good person who said a bad thing."
Man in Utah arrested for running a child pornography site, said he was a good person.
Tom Brady - quarterback for New England Patriots - perfect on the field, not off the field (father but not married)
Oprah Winfrey - the go to person for advice, she has contributed millions to people in need
Most people think she's a good person, but when lined up with God's standards, she doesn't measure up
Most people in our culture believe they are good enough to get to heaven
Jesus says there is only one that is good - God alone
What measuring stick are we using to determine we are good?
People next to us, co-workers, neighbors?
We can always find someone we are better than.
Another lie from Satan
Rom 3:10-18 (Ps 36)
No one is good except God alone
Marcus says he is an immoral person, an impure person. He is hard-hearted, has a lack of compassion. This is who he is. He has earned nothing.
vs. 11 there is no one who understands
1 John 4:10 God came after him
Rom 5:10 he was God's enemy
selfishness, anger, pride, lack of love
the test for selfishness - how do you react when someone cuts you off on the highway?
Is it still all about you?
Isaiah 64:6 all of us have become like who is unclean
filthy rag = menstrual cloth
The life and death of Jesus is meaningless unless we desperately seek him
We laugh at Paris Hilton, but too many of our teens try to prove they are a good person
Becoming a disciple of Jesus is not just completing a study series
Jesus seemed a little surprised that the rich young ruler would use the "good" card with him
vs. 17 obey the commandments
vs. 20 he has obeyed them all (he's delusional)
1/2% chance he's almost perfect
We say we have never committed murder, but in Mt 5:22 anyone who is angry is subject to judgment
Mt 5:28 anyone who looks at a woman has adultery in his heart
Do not steal - have you ever copied someone's homework?
false testimony - do you gossip?
Deceitful - tell half truths? false testimony about yourself?
Honor father and mother - are we always perfectly obedient?
Do we have secrets from our parents?
Do we force our parents to be CSI charlotte?
Love your neighbor as yourself - can anyone say they do this perfectly?
Mark 10 -- Jesus looked at this lost young man and loved him
What else do I need to say for you to realize that you need me?
The rich young ruler didn't get it
Zaccheus got it -- he embarrassed himself to get to Jesus
The Canaanite woman - she was willing to take the dog's scraps from Jesus
Luke 7 - the sinful woman - she offered no excuses, made no comparisons, willing to embarrass herself. She said nothing, weeping and cleaning his feet. She didn't ask for forgiveness. She knew she needed a savior.
Mt 5:3 poor in spirit
the entrance requirement for heaven
the rich young ruler needed to acknowledge that he needed a savior
2) When we give up everything, we gain everything
vs 21-22 he had great wealth, he walked away from Jesus
We cannot let this describe us
we miss out on the joy of grabbing our cross and following Jesus
1 John 5:3 his commands are not burdensome
Sometimes it feels that way
A dying man would never complain about the paint job on the ambulance - he's just grateful to be saved
The 10 commandments were not given to save themselves
A broken man who knows he is a sinner will gladly give up everything to be saved
Glory, Glory Halleluiah, since I laid my burdens down
2 Cor 5:14 God's love compels us
following Christ is not a burden, our sin is the burden
The promises of Jesus outweigh anything we are asked to do
vs. 27 Peter "we've left everything"
Peter usually says what we think
we make ourselves martyrs for self-denial
Jesus doesn't rebuke Peter, he points to the body, the church
We take the body for granted, people in the world are lonely
Look at the refrigerator - we all have pictures all over our fridges
We get many more Christmas cards than our neighbors do
We view it as a blessing where we get 10,000% interest back, to give up everything
Ron baptized him, Bruno studied with him
The Bible talks about all the benefits of the kingdom
Ron stepped in when his father died and was a Dad to him, a spiritual advisor
Bruno studied with him, but also shared his life with him
Bruno slept on his floor the night his Dad died, he did all the paperwork for the family.
If you give up everything, you also gain everything in return, if you look at it spiritually.