Sermon Central
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What Does It Matter Series
Contributed by Steve Malone on Feb 19, 2019 (message contributor)
Summary: In this message the Apostle Paul will teach us how to embrace his philosophy for living... "What does it matter - what happens to me or what other people say about me." I have chosen my calling over my comfort and God's approval over man's approval.
What Does It Matter?
WELCOME – to week 4 of our (let’s be sure to kick off the new year in an awesome life-changing – God honoring way) series this year can be different.
HEY – does anybody out there want this year to be different, to be better?
OKAY
SO HERE IS THE DEAL – if you embrace and keep striving to live out what we have been talking about since January 6th…
I guarantee, seriously I 100% guarantee that your 2019 will be different.
YOU SEE – that is what always happens when we hear and we apply, we do, we live out… God’s Word.
HOWEVER – hearing without doing… will not bring about any of the changes that we are hoping for…
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.23
(too merely listen – is kind of like auditing a class a college, ever do that? Like, you don’t have to do any of the work if you don’t want to)
Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
They will be blessed in….? (what they do)
LOOK – at someone “Come on, just do and you will be blessed”
YEAH – I know we often want the blessing without the doing, but that is not how things work in the Kingdom of God.
YES – it’s true, this year can be different…. and you will be blessed… IF YOU - as we learned in week one, if you grow like Jesus…
Jesus grew is wisdom (intellectually) and in stature (physically) and in favor with God (spiritually) and man (relationally).
YEAH – I know some of you may be tired of hearing me beat this same drum… but ‘oh well… here we go…’
SO – it’s been four weeks… have you taken the time to fill out your Values and Goals sheets.
(I printed out more – they are at the ‘All In’ kiosk)
AND HAVE YOU - prayerfully set a few – intellectual, physical, spiritual, and relational goals?
If yes… awesome If not… there is still time?
Listen most of us know some things we need to do, because we have been needing to do the same things for year…
Write them, share them with someone
LISTEN – you cannot afford to let another year slip away!
GET IT?
This year can be different… If you grow like Jesus, and if
You embrace ‘these three things’
Thing #1 – forgetting (losing out of mind) what is behind…
And for some in this room you if you want this year to be different you need to leave behind
• Some sin that has been dogging you for years (anger, lust, bitterness, pride, a destructive tongue) or the guilt and shame because of past failures.
• Trying to earn grace
• Holding on to past hurt
Thing #2 – straining toward and pressing on to what is ahead, to becoming more and more like Jesus.
Which I know, I feel you… is beyond a herculean task.
I MEAN – how will I ever become more and more like Jesus
HOW – will I ever… love like, forgive like, give like, have compassion like…. Jesus?
BUT LISTEN – as I have been saying for 3 weeks, it’s not about how… it’s about where.
If you want to become more like Jesus you have to embrace actions that put your life in the dirt, and then just let the dirt (the Holy Spirit) do His work…
• Read the bible pray regularly
• Make being in church week a priority
• Join a LG
• Set goals in those 4 areas
AND – if you embrace thing #3… If you – trust in, lean not, and acknowledge Him.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. – Proverbs 3:5,6
OKAY – that is where we have been so far in 2019.
AND LISTEN……
IF - you missed any of these conversations I cannot encourage you enough to check them out online…
Website, podcast, the Video of it on our Facebook page….
OKAY… let’s do this.
THIS MORNING – in a conversation I am calling, ‘What Does It Matter?’ WE ARE - going to unpack some words that Paul wrote 2000 years ago from a prison in Rome to the Jesus followers who were living in Philippi.
