Standing in the Crowd?
Talk about vision
Having vision/sense of purpose- important for people-
it is a natural part of life,
it gives us a sense of why we were created.
When there is no vision/redemptive revelation of God
people flounder, their lives lack purpose (Pr 29:18).
As a church I want us to have a sense of purpose.
Our mission as a church is described by- six words
(IN YOUR NOTES):
Encounter God, Love People, Share Life
We want COTRM to be a place where people
ENCOUNTER GOD,
where they experience divine revelation,
an unveiling of who Christ is.
learn to LOVE PEOPLE,
we want to build community and
the importance of “one another.”
SHARE LIFE with others,
who know how to be salt and light,
maturity speaks of- ability- reproduce life.
Looking back over- past year: (IN YOUR NOTES):
God gave us four principles to live by
1. Live your life with purpose
God created man to be significant/to have purpose-
live life with a sense of the eternal in our hearts.
2. God’s Word is true today
God is working miracles today just as He did in the NT-
the supernatural is to be a natural part of life.
3. Expect Increase
We have been given the life of God and we can expect an increase in the presence/power/work in our lives.
4. Advance in Adversity
Adversity- not a time to draw back- opportunity to move ahead as- learn- trust God in- circumstances.
God gave 3 words- declare prophetically over COTR
(IN YOUR NOTES):
Excitement, Expectation, Enthusiasm
Excitement- is to be awakened, energized, and called into divine activity.
Expectation- reach forward with faith and believe the impossible can become the possible.
Enthusiasm- is to believe that God wants to reveal Himself to us through the work of His HS.
(Pray for this to be released!)
Review
We asked our self this question
Are we Professors or Possessors of God’s life?
It is one thing to profess that we are Christians and another to possess that reality, to live that reality.
God has called us to be both- Professors/Possessors.
We looked at- story of Joshua- revisit Josh 3:1-5
The Ark represented the presence of God.
God- taking Israel where they had never been before.
They would need to keep their eye on the Ark- keep their eye on what God was doing to be successful.
As we God takes us into places we have not been before, important we keep our eyes on Him.
Digging Deeper into the story of Joseph
Pastor Tony’s HC- reviewing- Digging Deeper insert- for last week- Chelle T had- profound insights.
We will post her insights on the church blog this week.
($30 gift certificate to Carrabbas- post blog comment)
Joshua- very interesting personality in the Bible.
Joshua had both a profound love for God, yet he was also a mighty warrior.
Joshua demonstrated the role of both a priest/king.
When you read Joshua 3:1-5, did you see yourself from the place of the crowd standing behind the ark, or did you identify yourself standing in the position as the priest leading the people, holding the ark of the Lord?
Challenged my thinking- I saw myself in the crowd.
Once we begin to see ourselves as Priests and Kings and begin to take responsibility for the people and regions that we have been assigned to- we just may begin to see that the LORD will do wonders among us!
(IN YOUR NOTES):
Joshua pointed the way so others could live victoriously in the land God had promised them.
You and I have that same call in our lives today.
Come back to Joseph in a moment.
The house of Obed-edom
Look briefly at another man’s life- Obed-edom.
The Philistines had captured the Ark of the God and took it into one of their cities (1 Sam 5).
Dagon, the idol they worshipped, fell down and broke and the people were struck w/tumors.
They decided to return the Ark to Israel.
David decided to move the Ark to Jerusalem.
When Uzzah reached out with his hand to steady the Ark to prevent it from falling, God killed him.
David got upset- left the Ark in Obed-edom’s house.
2 Sam 6:9-11
When the enemies of God, those with an unbelieving heart, came into the presence of God it was a curse.
But in the house of Obed-edom it was a great blessing.
(IN YOUR NOTES):
The presence of God is a blessing to those whose hearts are after His heart.
As children of God we are to be carrier’s of His presence and a blessing to those open to the Lord.
God blessed Potiphar’s house on account of Joseph
Gen 39:5 It came about that from the time he made him overseer in his house and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house on account of Joseph; thus the Lord’s blessing was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field. NASU
We carry- life of God and should be a blessing as well.
Set Apart
1 Cor 1:2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours: NASU
(IN YOUR NOTES):
Sanctified- to make holy, the opposite of common.
Vessels in the temple that were set a part for worship, and not for public use, were said to be sanctified.
They were for God’s use only- that made them special.
God has set us apart for Him- given us a great purpose.
Rom 9:20-21
Honor- to have value or worth.
Common- vessels for everyday household use.
My wife has a color code for her sponges.
One color sponge is used to clean the sinks and another to clean the toilets.
You do not want to mix up the sponges.
One is for a more honorable use than the other.
One was sanctified and set apart to clean sinks.
It is not better than the other sponge, it is simply set apart for a nobler activity.
As Christians we are not better than the world but we have been set apart by God for honorable use.
2 Tim 2:20-22(Same Greek words)
As believers we have been created and set apart for God’s honorable purposes
we are no longer common.
We have great value in God’s eyes because He has chosen us and placed His Spirit within us.
Back to Joshua
Going back to the story about Joshua
Josh 3:7
(IN YOUR NOTES):
God wants to exalt us in the eyes of the world.
Not in the sense of our own personal greatness, but in the sense of being a Kingdom man or woman
that can point the way to God for others.
Act 27- Paul- prisoner being taken to Rome by ship.
They experienced a very bad storm.
Paul not just concerned for his own safety, but that of the crew and passengers as well.
God had a purpose for him to stand before Caesar.
God granted to Paul the life of the crew/passengers.
By the very nature of Whose he was, he was a blessing to those around him- as we should be also.
Thanksgiving Dynamic
Thank you
Pastors
Elders
Staff
House Church Leaders
Deacons
Ushers
Worship Leaders, musicians, singers
Ministry Leaders
Servants
Thank you Lord for your incredible kindness, mercy, and grace that you extended to us this past year.
