Quiet Times Search

• Solitary place - no bothered for a curtain amount of time
  
• Can walk and pray
• Can pray out loud

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

Do you realize that nearly all of the people we read about in the Bible spent most of their time outside?

• Star-studded evening would tell how many descendants Abraham would have - Genesis 15:5
• Looking at God's creation - humbled Job's pride - Job 38:4-7

FInd park, trails, and open spaces.
Open your eyes, listen, breath the realivily clear air

When is the last time you:

• Took in a sunrise or sunset
• Watched the changing cloud formations
• Listen to the songs of the birds
• Strolled through the leaves of fall
• Listen to the snow fall as they gently fell to earth
• Took a good look at the flowers of spring
• Stopped to watch the a powerful thunderstorm
• Stood in awe of the sparkling  stars

Psalms 19:1-4; Psalms 65:8-13

Time outside with God is just what many of us need and nothing else will suffice

• Lost a position
• Lost his wife
• Lost a wise counselor
• Lost a friend
• Lost self-respect

• Lost hope in your relationships - God may want you to rediscover how He can meet all your needs
• Lost hope in financial stability - God may want you to rediscover how to totally depend on him
• Lost hope in someone changing - God may want you to rediscover his expectations for you
  

• 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

When does seeking really start?

Romans 3:11 - there is no one that seeks God
John 6:44 - No one can come to me unless the Father draws him

Studying the Bible is simply allowing ourselves to be sought by God

If it was our own effort - baptism may seem like the end of the quest

We need to active learners

When we were young, we understood obligation  - "I gotta go to school"
After high school, we may go to college and narrow our focus of learning and become passive learners

• We listen to the voice of our experience as the final authority
• We learn mostly from our mistakes
• We learn when we are forced to out of control - crisis, illness, death

Treasures are for those who will continue to seek forever; not for those who want tips and tricks for being "effective"

If there were ever a moment to be a passive learner, it would be when you walk with Jesus

Luke 11:1-13 - where would we be if the disciples had not asked about praying to the Father? - not know how to address the Father

We need to take responsibilty to get deep and ask questions

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead - Philippians 3:12-14

Much of our challenge is in accepting failures without feeling like failures

Peter and Judas were both betrayers
Peter was forgiven and Judas would have too if he had not killed himself

Mistakes are part of the growing process

1. Performance mind-set - try to minimize our failures (no risks)
2. Terminal thinkers - avoid calling them mistakes

Gospel allows us to start over and over again
Failure to achieve dreams is one our greatest challenges from our past

Shock > denial > anger > depression, apathy, or peace (grace of God)

BIG PICTURE - being right with God, growing in our relationship with him, and helping others

• Negativity oftn excites stronger emotions
  • Easily swayed by the negative report
  • Forgot God's amazing miracles and victories
• Negative thinking is a pervasive tendency
• Majority of people inevitably practice negative thinking
  • No wonder so many people reacted negatively to Jesus
  • How many were confident that the resurrection would follow? Next to nil
• Negativism is deceptive to observers - seems normal
• Negatives are often mixed with positives to sound better
• Leaders have a responsibility to determine the thinking of the group
• Negativity is tragic in its results - destroys faith and unity of the group

• Disappointed often? Selfish often!
• Frustrated at others often? Selfish often!
• Angry when others have things against you? Selfish once more!

Can easily become sentimental when talking about salvation:

• Family, people you are emotionally connected with
• Thinking about people in remote parts of the world
  • It would be cruel to share the gospel with someone who hadn't heard it and was saved
  • Like not throwing a life jacket because you think they will be alright
• Religous people - would you be willing to stand before God with - infant baptism or non-disciple life?

All have sin and have fallen short of the glory of God - Romans 3:23

Being "broader" than the Bible puts you on the wrong road

God will be the judge and he has given us the basis of his judgement - John 12:48

Extremes:

• We become judgmental and reason like Pharisee; we are policeman, God is the judge
• Lose our conviction religious doesn't equal salvation

God planned:

• Where you would be born
• When you would be born (waiting patiently for Juniper)
• How long you will live
• Who your parents would need to be for you to come the way you came

God was thinking of you even before he made the world, that is why he created the world

God's purpose even took in account sin and human error.

If there was no god, we would all be accidents

The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us - Romans 12:3

Life is a temporary assignment

It is descriped as a mist, a fast runner, a breath, a wisp of smoke

Compared to eternity, life is extremely brief
Earth is only a temporary residence
Christians should carry spiritual green cards

With this understanding. worries lost their grip on our lives

In order to keep us from getting too attached God allows us to feel much discontentment and dissatisfaction in life
It is a fatal mistake to assume God's goal for your life is material prosperity or popular success

• Paul was faithful - ended up in prison
• John the Baptist was faithful - was beheaded

Some would consider them foolish and lost everything but they gained everything - God and heaven

In heaven we will ask ourselves:

• Why did I place so much importance things so temporary?
• What was I thinking?
• Why did I waste so much time on thing that will not last?

God has a purpose behind every problem

God uses problems to draw you closer to himself
Lord is close to the brokenhearted - Psalms 34:18

God had the ability to kept:

• Joesph out of jail
• Daniel out the lion's den
• Paul from being shipwrecked 3 times
• Young Hebrew from being thrown in a furance

... but he didn't

Problem force us to look to God and depend on him
None of your problem could happen without God's permission

Romans 8:28-29 (NLT)

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters.

• "God causes everything" - God is behind everything
• "to work together" - work together as part of God's plan
• "for the good" - the end result is for our hearts to be more like Jesus
• "of those who love God" - those who are obedient
• "according to his purpose"  - the purpose is "become like his Son"

• 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

Personality

You are very unique 10^{2,400,000,000} in DNA terms
All the particles in the universe is less than 10⁷⁶

It is obvious that God loves variety
God works through different people in different ways; achieves his purpose through all - 1 Corinthians 12:6
So many personality conflicts between just the 12 disciples

It is easier to  work with the grain than against it
Mimicking someone else exactly does not work

Experiences

• Family experiences
• Education experiences
• Vocational experiences
• Spiritual experiences
• Ministry experiences
• Painful experiences

Greatest ministry comes from our most likely come from your greatest pain
God allows you to go through painful experiences for ministry of others

When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the comfort God has given us - 2 Corinthians 1:4

Paual was honest with his bouts of depression
He eventually put everything into the hands of God, who alone could save us - 2 Corinthians 1:8-10

If Paul kept his experience to himslef, millions of people would have never benefitted from it

Don't waste your pain, us it to help others

We server God by serving others
Everyone wants to lead; not many want to follow - we would rather be generals than privates

How can you know if you have the heart of Jesus?
You can tell what they are by what they do - Matthew 7:16

Real Servants make themselves available to serve

Like a soldier, always by for duty - 2 Timothy 2:4

• Do what is needed
• Do it when it is inconvenient
• Gives up control of their schedule
• Not frustrated because it is whatever God wants

Real servants pay attention to needs

Always looking out for ways to help others
Great opportunities to serve never last for long
Never tell your neighbor to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now - Proverbs 3:28

Real servants do their best with what they have

Servant never make excuses, procratinate, wait for better circumstances
If you wait for the perfect conditions, you will never get anything done - Ecclesiates 11:4
Less-than-perfect service is better than the best intention

Real servants do every task with equal dedication

Whatever you do, do it with all your heart - Colossians 3:23
You are never too [fill in the blank] to be a servant
Jesus specialized in menial tasks:

• washing feet
• helping children
• fixing breakfast
• servng lepers

Small taks often show a big heart
Little things determine big things
Race to be a leaders is crowded but the field is wide open for those willing to be servants

Real servants are faithful to their ministry

Servants finish tasks, fullfill their responsibilities, and complete their commitments
Can you be counted on by others?
We want to God to say, "Well gone, good and faithful servant" - Matthew 25:23

Real Servants maintain a low profile

Put on the apron of humility, to serve one another - 1 Peter 5:5
Not about show  - If we are trying to please men (including ourselves) we can not be a servant of Christ - Galatians 1:10

Servants are content with quietly serving in the shadows
Wouldn't find many true servants in any Halls of Fame or Who's who books

Be confident that nothing you do for God is a waste of time or effort - 1 Corinthians 15:58

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

• You are working with God
• You are representing God

1. Opportunities to witness - Colossians 4:3
   
2. Courage to speak up - Ephesians 6:19
   
3. Rapid spread of the gospel - John 17:20
   
4. More workers - 2 Thessalonians 3:1

How quick human nature is to accept credit for certain accomplishments
God made us and enables us to do everything
What do you have that you did not receive? - 1 Corinthians 4:7

I will not boast about myself, except my weaknesses (Paul) - 2 Corinthians 12:5

Why boast about our weaknesses?

• The cross affrirms our worth
• Frees us from performing
• So that Christ's power may rest on us - 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Who would want the power of God?

A person that truly boasts in the cross does not:

• Pull away when not feeling appreciate enough
• Rely on recongnition of other to stay faithful
• Takes correction without prove their ways
• Prove thry already know something
• Project an image of self-worth
• Have a competive spirit

Jesus could keep a full record of your credits and debts - but do you want that? sin and all?
All credit should go to Jesus

Are you trying to earn your salvation
Boast in your weaknesses. Live in the power of God.