Quiet Times Search

MLK - as bad as slavery was - there a slavery that last for eternity

2 Corinthians 5:21 - Jesus might become sin for us

As existence of righteousness does not ensure we receive it

Satan tries everything to help us miss this opportunity

Jews after saw their failures in the past - created many regulations so they would not sin

• Not the content of their character
• Basis of conformity to rules
• Majored in the minors and minored in the majors

Religion that is performance based is doomed

• what must we do to please God
• Condemn others outwardly
• Condemn ourselves inwardly
• Everything becomes a matter of right and wrong
• Hearts focused if we have done enough and have done it right

• Fear - only for a while
• Christian fellowship - until other's disappointments and failures
• Ambition - until our disappointments and failures

• We are longer slave but sons ans daughters
• We can approach him with confidence because of Jesus

• With Jesus as the high priest,  we can confidence to enter the into the throne room of God
• Can gain a heavenly perspective
• Praise God that his resources there are limitless

• Being holy, set apart, above us
• Prayer is not just asking for something but for honoring Him

• Kingdom has not come to every nation and place nor every person
• Pray for God to open doors, speaking boldly, with wisdom
• Pray for those who server and in leading roles

• God wants us to pray about surrendering to his will
• Challenges is our life must not be avoided but have a surrendered life
• Read some command and ask yourself if you are following them
• Jesus never asked for strength to go to the cross but only that he might surrender
• Besides pride and rebellion, unbelief keeps us from doing God's will

• Bring specific needs to God
• Must depend on God daily for our spiritual and physical needs
• Pray thorough your todo list and details
• Jesus said we could do nothing apart from God - John 15:5

• Lack of confession results in a hardened heart
• We will not mature if do not do this soul searching
• Be specific; ask others for forgiveness if needed
• Extend forgiveness; can not be forgiven by God otherwise

• What are your weaknesses? Have you faced them?
• Draw on God's power before Satan strikes

• Return again to praising and glorifying God
• All power rests in his hand

• If you start too fast, you can die
• The most important thing is finishing
• Cannot compare myself to anyone else or I will get thrown off
• I think about walking when I think no one is looking
• Envy people standing on the sidelines
• Finish line seems to literally pull me along

• Father spoke to Jesus - "who he was well pleased" with
  
• Father gave him the Holy Spirit in form of a dove
• Father gave the authority of both Heaven and Earth
• Jesus wrote the names in the book of life
• Jesus begging God on our behalf
• Jesus directs the spreading of the message
• Jesus saluted the martyr Stephen
• Jesus sent light to blind Saul

• Gift-envy - wanting a gift that someone else has
• Gift-projection - expect others to the same gifts as we do

• Enthusiasm - what you love to do; no one has to motivate
• Effectiveness - passion drives perfection

God loves weak people and everyone has weaknesses

We usually deny, defend, excuse, hide and resent weaknesses

God wants to use our strengths and weaknesses - 1 Corinthians 1:27
Your weaknesses are not an accident
Being "poor in spirit" is the #1 attitude he blesses - Matthew 5:3
God is never limited by our limitations

Admit your weaknesses

Might be a good idea to list them

Two great confessions:

1. You are the Chrst (Matthew 16:16) - we need a savior
2. We are only human (Acts 14:15) - we are not God

Be content with your weaknesses

I am glad about my weaknesses, so the power of Christ may work - 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Reasons to be content:

1. Causes us to depend on God - the less I have, the more I depend on him - 2 Corinthians 12:10
2. Prevents arrogance - So I wouldn't get a big head - 2 Corinthians 12:7
3. Encourages fellowship
4. Increases sympathy

All God's great people in the Bible were weak but did not stay that way:

• Moses: Weakness was his temper BECAME "the humblest man on earth" - Numbers 12:3
• Gideon: Weakness was his low self-esteem BECAME a "mighty man of valor" - Judges 6:12
• Abraham: Weakness was fear BECAME "the father of those who have faith" - Romans 4:11
• Peter: Weakness was weak willed BECAME "a rock" - Matthew 16:18
• David: Weakness as a adulterous BECAME "a man after my own heart" - Acts 13:22
• John: Weakness was arrogance BECAME "apostle of love"

• Personal fulfillment
• Self-centered
• Goes to enrichment seminars
• Avoids missions conferences
• Prayers focused on our needs

• Saved to serve
• Eager for personal assignment
• Only one who is truly alive
• Makes a difference

World often assumes humily with being quite, soft, weak, a loner, apathetic and without convictions

Does this sound like Jesus to you?
Jesus humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on the cross - Philippians 2:8
Death on the cross was considered a curse - Deuteronomy 21:22-23
He allowed himself to be cursed
He put his trust in him who judges justly - 1 Peter 2:23

With humility, you give up yourself, but in the process you find God and yourself

Questions and answers about humility:

1. Where does God dwell? with the humble and concrite - Isaiah 57:15
2. Who does God esteem? he who is humble, concrite, and trembles at his word - Isaiah 66:2-3
3. Who receives God's grace? not the proud but the humble - James 4:6
4. Who does God lift up? those who humble themselves under God's mighty hand - 1 Peter 5:5-6

• Nothing he cannot do
• No victory he cannot win
• No tragedy he cannot overcome
• No mountain he cannot move

• How did you do that?
• Give us the recipe
• Whisper the secret

• Many people would have not stopped to chat
• Most would have averted eye contact
• Jews saw blindness as punishment for some sin - John 9:2
• Jesus saw an opportunity to heal and teach - so God might be displayed in his life - John 9:3
• Jesus acted but not predictably - felt something moist and hear go wash
• Blind man simply went - true blind obedience

• Simple honest - I was blind but now I see - John 9:25
• Childlike innocence - Do you want to become his disciples too? - John 9:27
• Boldness - John 9:27

John 1:42

Usually when you meet someone, you introduce yourself - Jesus knew Peter and changed his name!

Jesus looked at people differently than they look at themself

Jesus knew he would fail but he never gave up on Peter.

What name might Jesus give you?

• “All that the Father gives me will come to me…” (John 6:37)
• “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him…” (John 6:44)

• “I pass judgment on no one … I am not alone.” (John 8:15-16)
• “[God] has given him authority to judge…” (John 5:27)

“…God, is the one who glorifies me.” (John 8:54)

Shepherding

Mark 6:30-44

• Employees must have a reason to look forward to a completion of a project.
• Must pause to experience the thrill of victory otherwise we will squeeze the joy right our of lives
• We will get burned if we do not remind ourselves to rest
• When we are exhausted our performance in all areas of our lives suffer. (point of diminishing returns)

Work Ethic

• Important causes are worthy of extreme levels of effort
• We are to go the extra mile - Matthew 5:41

Crowd Appeal

• Jesus displayed urgency and charisma when he spoke.
• People did not want to miss out on anything he might say or do.

Visible Sincerity

• Meet the crowd’s need for physical and spiritual food - needs of the whole person
• Meet other’s need without asking anything in return
• Concerned with how people fared after this life and not just in this life
• If we are concern more with what we will get ourselves we probably won’t have much of an impact

Expertise

Mark 12:28-34

• He was prepared to give an answer on any topic that anyone might choose to challenge him.
• We need to know our stuff.
• Good students make the best teachers.
• Good listeners are worth listening to.
• Some of us what to skip over the student phase and jump right into the teacher phase.

• can not learn it from any other place
• can not learn it from other boys
• can not learn it from women

• What is my effect on you?
• What am I like to with?
• What don’t you feel free to bring up with me?

• Earnestness, carefulness, diligence, make every effort, haste
• Real Estate – earnest money – intent to buy
• Accounting – due diligence
• We good intentions but are they marked with diligence?

• Literally mean defense – not excuses or defensiveness
• Prodigal Son – “I have sinned against heaven and against you”

Literally means “same” – “homo” = word; “logos” = reasoning
Satan –

• “Go ahead and try…”
• “Now that you’ve sinned, you’re different.”
• “Now that you are in the darkness, you might as well…”

• Described himself as someone who could do nothing without God
  
• This poor man called and the Lord saved him from his troubles - Psalms 34:6
• God is his help and deliver - Psalms 40:17
• I am poor and needy - Psalms 109:22
• Modern thinkers might say he needed some self-esteem 
• God said he was after his own heart

• Woe to me, I am ruined for I am unclean - Isaiah 6:5
• Today we can go to church wanting to be told how good we are
• God forgave his sins and sent him on a life mission full of purpose

• Their growth - he would pay the cost
• Patient with someone who was weak - he would pay the cost
• Someone taking advantage of his humility - he would pay the cost
• Was through sticky, uncomfortable issues - he would pay the cost

Preached by John Lusk (2005-01-23)

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

• We need each other
• Many books written about relationships - None seem to completely work

Christ is the key to having true friendships

Friendship with Christ

John 15:14-15

• Amazing - God of the universe calls us a "friend"
• Much like a maturing parent/child relationship - we grow from master/slave relationship to a friendship with the almighty God
• Jesus meet many of our needs - Belonging and Security

Matthew 11:28-30 - Jesus yoke is easy and he will give you rest

Hebrews 4:15-16 - Jesus understands and have been in your situation

2 Peter 1:3 - He given everything we need in life

Ephesians 5:1-13

• Being open pleases God
• Sin enslaves us.

• Our sins killed Jesus
• Not oops...Deliberate!
• Two ways to look at it
  • Bad Bad = Guilty/No change
  • Good Bad = Repentence/Change
• Only 72 left to follow Jesus when he ascended
• Today:
  • God is the same.
  • People change.

John 6:60-71

• Jesus' message offended people
• They my have said:
  • You are going to lose some members
  • You are not going to be popular
  • This might start a controversy

Matthew 10:34-38

• The message is going to cause friction

• The road is narrow:
  • Hard to get on
  • Not easy
  • Few will be on it
• Are you on the narrow road?