Living on the Edge # 3

“The Greatness of God rouses fear within us, but His goodness encourages us not to be afraid of Him. To Fear and NOT be afraid… that is the paradox of faith.”

- A.W. Tozer

In our FIRST message in this series…

• Romans 12 showed us that we have to be willing to let go of control and we must surrender it to the ONE who knows us BEST and who loves us MOST

• We talked about what a Surrendered Life actually looks like

• We asked the question… “are you in or only in half way?”

In our SECOND message in this series…

• We asked you the question… “Why Wait?!”
• Do you really WANT to be well? - John 5

• To Live On The Edge, you must POSITION yourself to be where the BLESSINGS are!

• They're cannot be any excuses… the proof is in the pursuit!
• Jesus said to let the dead bury the dead

This morning in our THIRD message in this series… Question: “Are you getting God’s Best?”

• A practical, but most difficult step to Living On The Edge - Separate yourself from the World’s Values and Actions
• Jesus said…”If you hand causes you to sin… or if your eye causes you to sin, cut it off or pluck it out!”

Then He said to them all; “If anyone would come after me, he must DENY himself and take up his cross DAILY and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it!” - Jesus of Nazareth

How do you get the very best from God?

Romans 12:2

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be TRANSFORMED by the renewing of your mind. THEN you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is… His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

• Look at the last 19 words of this verse…. 

“THEN you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is… 

            His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

• Can you imaging that were is something we ca actually do that God promises will allow us to “Test and Approve” (the idea is to fully and completely experience) how good, pleasing and perfect His will is for our lives?!

• Think about that! GOD wants you to experience his good and pleasing will in your marriage, your job, and your future He even wants you to experience His perfect Will is a difficult situation as you learn to wait, learn and see God’s wisdom and grace sustain you and I.

• All of this to say… God wants to give us the VERY BEST. I didn't say the easiest… and don't confuse THE BEST with how YOU define it. BUT, the Creator of the Universe knows your name, sees your heart, knows your pain, and longs to pour out His good, acceptable, and perfect will into every area of your life and relationships!

• Sadly, most christians… yep, you and me…. don't experience God’s best. Most christians get seduced and conned into believing lies that keep them conformed to this world and they miss out on all the wonderful things God wants to give them.

• Here’s REALITY… WE ARE IN A BATTLE! We all struggle. We all all have missteps and failures on our journey; but it is GODS DESIRE for you to experience His good, pleasing and perfect will! HOW?

Here’s how one man described it….

“I still struggle at times with my thought life and I am very susceptible to visual messages, so I have to be very intentional about what I watch or where I let my eyes go. I have battled workaholism, pleasing people, and self righteousness in my journey. However, I rejoice at God’s work in my life, but I still have daily temptations and that deep, lasting, significant change has occurred in my motives, speech, behavior, and relationships…. which have become deeper and better than I ever imagined. God’s good and perfect will is sweet!”

• The battle will CHANGE SHAPE as you continue to mature, but real transformation IS possible! This life is available and waiting for you! Those last 19 words in Romans 12:2 can describe your life when you learn by faith to put into practices the first 22 words of Romans 12:2! Results require Action. You will not experience one without the other!

God really wants to speak to you about this! PERSONALLY!  Using the acronym TRUST ME…

Think about the pathways to LIVING ON THE EDGE in your life. As you hear these and

 think on these things… listen to the Holy Spirit and follow HIS leading out onto the EDGE!

THINK - Read Romans 12:2 over slowly with a special focus on the last 19 words

REFLECT - What comes to your mind when you think about doing God’s will? Does your mind gravitate to words like difficult, painful, distasteful; or do you see His will as GOOD, Well Pleasing, and custom made for your benefit and joy?

UNDERSTAND - How and where have you struggled the most in your walk with Jesus? What habits, sins or setbacks seem to thwart your relationship with Christ?

SURRENDER - Ask God to begin opening your eyes and your heart to what His Good and Pleasing will is for your life.

TAKE ACTION - Discipline yourself and include an accountability partner if needed to walk away from things that are getting in the way of your walk with The Lord

MOTIVATION - Write out this prayer on a 3x5 index card or onto something else and tape it up somewhere you will see it…

“Father, help me not to let this world squeeze me into its mold, but transform me from the inside out as I meditate on and apply your word to my life”

ENCOURAGE SOMEONE - Jot a brief note to someone who knows Christ, but who is struggling in the day to day walk with Him. Just let them know you care and that you are praying for them today!

Living on the Edge! #2

“Living On The Edge”

TEXT: John 5:1-11

I. At Certain Seasons

There are two Greek words for time. “Chronos” from which we get chronological. It equals calendar time or quantity of time.

In this passage however, the second word is used. “Kairos”. It deals with quality of time. 

Actual definition is “A divine appointment of God” or “a favorable time”. This word is used 168 times in the entire Bible. 168 times in the 1600 years it took for the Bible to be written.

The truth is that we can’t miss the kairos moments in our life. We must not miss the season of troubled waters. Who knows when the “time” the “kairos” will come back again. If we miss our kairos moment due to pettiness, pride, bitterness, anger, who know when another kairos moment will come. 168 times in 1600 years. We may only have one shot.

 See we don’t create the waves we only ride them. It is essential for us to become like the Sons of Issachar described in I Chronicles 12:32. 

The Bible says they were men who understood the times. We must become men and women who understand and perceive when a kairos moment is upon us.

Look at your neighbor and say it is time! (We are face to face with a kairos moment this morning will you perceive it or miss it?)

II. No One Can Get Your Blessing Or Revival For You = Verse 7

God has made each of us a free moral agent. In other words we must each choose for ourselves. I can’t get revival for you. I can’t get blessed for you.

I might be a part of your blessing but you have to choose it and want it

yourself. If you set back and wait you will never get it. If you are waiting

on someone to package it just right and come and place it in your lap it will never happen. If your waiting on your pastor to bring revival to you you will be waiting forever. We have to get it for ourselves.

III. Others Are Not Going To Wait On You To Get Blessed. Therefore, You Can’t Wait On Them. = Verse 7

No since waiting on so and so to get right. No use waiting on your boyfriend or girlfriend, your spouse, your neighbor, your parents, aunts or uncles before you step into revival. You may say, “When Brother So and So straightens up” or “When Sister Such and Such gets in I will too.” “I am waiting on him to dance or shout.” I have got news for you today I’m not going to wait on you to get blessed. The other person isn’t going to wait on you to get blessed. When the opportunity presents itself I’m going for it and so should you. Don’t wait. Get in while the waters are troubled.

Can you imagine the scene. It is a mad rush to get into the water when they are troubled. The blind man hears the cry go up, “the waters are troubled.” So he begins to make a sprint to the water. But in his blindness he trips over the lame man’s cane. He turns and yells at the man but he is actually yelling at a man that seems to pay no attention. He is deaf. All the while the mute man is trying to direct traffic with sign language. A huge dog pile takes place at the pool’s edge and the blind man in anger turns his seeing eye dog loose on the mob.

Fighting to get in. Desperate for the move. There is truth here. Get up, get in or get out of the way. If you get in the way of revival, if you wait on someone else you may get trampled by desperate people. 

WE ARE COMING THRU. WE WON’T WAIT.

IV. Those Positioned Appropriately Got The Blessing = Verse 7

Who got the blessing when the water was troubled? Why after 38 years had this man not been the first into the pool? Why after all this time had he not been the one to be healed? Why after being beaten time and time again into the water didn’t he position himself appropriately? Who got blessed and healed? Those who were close to the water. Why after 38 years wasn’t he on the edge of the water? I would have been hanging over the edge every day.

The word is this. . . Who is going to experience revival? Those who position themselves appropriately. Where is the appropriate position? As close to the water as possible. You can’t be a long ways off and expect to get in you have to get ready now. If revival hits and you have to begin preparing, praying, fasting you will miss the wave. Get ready! Position yourself! Get close, stay close! Camp out near the water. Don’t miss, don’t skip, don’t blink! Get ready, stay on the edge.

V. No Excuses Allowed = Verses 6-7

Jesus asks a silly question or did he? He asks a man who had been sick 38 years if he wants to be healed. That is a “yes” or “no” question. But notice the man’s answer. He doesn’t say yes. He doesn’t say no. He makes an excuse. He had become comfortable with his sickness. He had become comfortable with his present state. He was comfortable with the routine of coming to the pool every day. After 38 years of the same daily routine and after 38 years of making friends around the pool he was satisfied where he was.

Jesus is troubling the waters and He is asking, “Do you want revival?” It is a “yes” or “no” question. But what is our answer? Are we comfortable with our sickness called sin. Are we comfortable with our present state spiritually? Some of us have been the same for 40 years, 4 years, 4 months. But there are no excuses allowed. We either want it or we don’t.

But I can’t get into revival because so and so setting on the 4th row hurt me, my past won’t let me, this revival doesn’t push my buttons, the songs aren’t my style, the preacher isn’t firey enough, the preacher didn’t pray for me personally so I can’t have revival. No Excuses Allowed!! It is a yes or no question. We must make up our mind that we want revival so bad that we will take it any way we can get it and at any cost. If God sends us a cinnamon revival and our favorite flavor of revival is vanilla we should still get in on it. If we prefer fast songs but revival comes through slow ones, if we like choruses and it comes through hymns, if we want a Caucasian revival and He sends a black or brown revival we should still be a part of it.

No Excuses Allowed!! THE PROOF OF DESIRE IS PURSUIT. We must desire revival so bad that we will pursue in any shape, color, or form. And the great news is that we you can’t get to the water the water has come to you. Just answer yes and have revival.

VI. People Will Try To Box Up Your Revival = Verses 10-11

If you experience revival someone will try to clean it up, formalize it, place tradition on it. There will be someone who won’t like the way you sing, dance, shout, or pray. I suggest that you answer them like this man did . . . “Jesus told me to do it.”

When you know God said dance. When you know He said shout with the voice of triumph. When you know He said to run. Others will try to box you up. “We never did it that way.” “Your in the flesh.” I am convinced we are more scared of being in the flesh than we are of being dead. Do what you feel like God said do and let Him make up the difference. Err on the side of life rather than death.

If you know God said to do it answer them like this man did and keep on trukin. You notice he didn’t’ sit back down and stay around the pool another 38 years. He walked on into victory. We must do the same. When the devil laughs, when people laugh, when friends laugh, when neighbors laugh and say your making a fool of yourself just tell them who told you to do it and walk into victory.

It Is Time... The Waters Are Troubled!!

PRAYER:

1. If here and want revival but been waiting on someone else.

2. Not positioned appropriately and need to get closer to the water.

3. Been making excuses.

4. Letting others box me in.

5. Ready for revival.

Living On The Edge Intro

Living on the Edge

Experiencing the “The Spiritual” the way it was intended

• Romans 12 is the place to start if you want a RENEWAL of your SPIRITUAL CONNECT with the Supernatural! 
• What most Christians sadly misunderstand is that God isn’t into religious activities or performance based Christianity. Instead, Romans 12 reveals to us a RELATIONAL profile of what it means to be a disciple, as well as a proven pathway to becoming more like Jesus everyday!
• If you have become stagnant in your spiritual growth… START HERE
• If you have become disengaged with your church experience… START HERE
• If you are a relatively new believer and unsure of how to grow spiritually… START HERE!
• If you are a mature Christian and are looking for a pathway to disciple others or even yourself… START HERE.

• Over the next few weeks… we are going to be talking a lot about LOVE. Love from God, Love for each other… and we are going to look at Practical ways to do that!

Our message series is called LIVING ON THE EDGE. 

• How to give God what He wants most  (Romans 12:1)
• What does God really want from us?
• Why is it so hard to surrender to God?
• Do we believe that God has our best in mind?
• What does a surrendered life look like anyway?
• Are we all in or still only part way?

• How do you get God’s BEST for your life?  (Romans 12:2)

• How do we come to grips with the REAL me? (Romans 12: 3-8)
• Who do we think we are?
• Have we answered life’s really big questions?
• Where do we “fit” in God’s family?
• Do we know God’s PURPOSE for our lives?

• How to Experience Authentic Community (Romans 12: 9-13)
• How to overcome the enemy when he is aiming straight at us? (Romans 12: 14-21)

ARE WE READY to see God do the IMPOSSIBLE?

To really understand what its like to experience LIVING ON THE EDGE… we have to let of our own way of thinking and acting and really GIVE IT ALL to Him. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

DIVE IN!

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. —Mark 12:30 (NKJV)

God’s love for you is deep, wide and more intense than you can imagine. But it can be a struggle to love Him back the way we should—with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Read on for some practical ways to dive deeper into your relationship with God through prayer, reading the Bible and relationships with others.

Prayer

Pray without ceasing. —1 Thessalonians 5:17, NKJV

You can’t have a deep relationship with God unless you spend time with Him, and one way to do that is through prayer. But how should you pray in order to draw closer to God? Here are some practical ideas.

• Pray often. Sometimes we fall into a habit of praying only when we want something from God. Most of us have whispered a desperate, last-minute prayer: “Help me, God!” But the Bible says we should “pray without ceasing.” That means going to God throughout the day to thank Him, praise Him and make requests for ourselves and others.

• Pray in a quiet place where you can focus on God. Jesus said, “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:6).

• Don’t focus on fancy words and long prayers. Jesus also said, “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases,” thinking God will hear you better if you talk more, “for your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:7-8).

• Use the Lord’s Prayer as a guide. The words known as the Lord’s Prayer are found in Matthew chapter 6. If you can recite it by heart without even thinking about it, take time to look at the words with a fresh perspective to see how Jesus is telling you to pray.

• Remember the word ACTS. Some people find it helpful to use the letters A-C-T-S to remember how to pray.

◦ A stands for adoration. Tell God you adore and praise Him. Spend time worshiping Him.

◦ C stands for confession. Confess your sins to God and ask Him to forgive you.

◦ T stands for thanksgiving. Thank God for His Son, Jesus, and the blessings in your life.

◦ S stands for supplication. Ask God to supply your needs and the needs of others.

dive | dīv

(v.): To intentionally jump or plunge headfirst

Scripture

Man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. —Deuteronomy 8:3b, NKJV

Do you ever wish God would speak to you? Give you some direction?

Maybe there are a lot of things you’d rather do than read the Bible, yet that’s one of the best things to do for one-on-one time with God. The books of the Bible are His words to you. It’s full of wisdom, life lessons, truth and encouragement. If you commit to reading the Bible daily, you just might find that you look forward to it. Here are 8 tips and ideas to get started.

• Think of the Bible as food for the soul. A daily dose can bring peace and balance to your life, and help you think and act in ways pleasing to God.

• Get into a routine. Set aside at least 10 minutes a day to read the Bible. It might mean getting up a little earlier or finding a quiet spot away from everyday distractions. Maybe you read it with a cup of coffee, during your lunch break or before bed. Set a time and stick to it.

• Don’t worry if understanding the Bible seems hard at first. Before you begin reading, pray and ask God to help you understand what you’re about to read. Ask Him to show you what He wants you to learn. Study Bibles are also helpful in giving you context.

• Keep these 3 questions in mind as you read. What does this passage mean? What is God saying to me in this passage? And how can I apply this to my own life?

• Ask a friend to read along with you. Maybe you can go through a reading plan together or meet each week to talk about what you’ve read. Text or email Bible verses to each other, or use a Bible app to “friend” each other and share notes.

• The Bible can be overwhelming. Where should you begin? See if your church has a printable Bible reading plan or search for one online. You can also aim to read a chapter a day (try one Proverb a day for each day of July). Joining a Bible study group is another good option.

• Read by topic. The book of James is all about Christian living. The Psalms, a book of worship, can enrich your devotion to God, and Proverbs is full of wisdom to strengthen your relationship with others.

• Don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day. Renew your commitment and pick it back up the next day.

Relationships 

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. —1 Peter 4:8, ESV

We’ve all had moments where we put tasks over people. Maybe you’ve found yourself engulfed in deadlines at work; 

FF 1-218barely coming up for air to chat with coworkers. Or perhaps you spent so much time prepping food during the dinner party that your guests had to entertain themselves. Whether with your spouse, children, friends or even complete strangers—we’re each involved in some type of relationship. And the Bible says we should take them all seriously—whether we want to or not.

The secret to strengthening relationships that have weakened over time or never really gained ground is to love. But not just half-hearted, shallow love. We are to love others earnestly, meaning with purpose and ambition. Here are three ways to be intentional with your relationships:

• Show your love. Saying “I love you” is meaningful, but can resonate deeper with action behind it. Make a greater effort to pay attention to those around you and do something to communicate your love in a way that’s special to them. Even small gestures and quality time can leave a lasting impression.

• Forget about yourself. God’s love for you is the greatest example of how to love and care for others. There is no struggle we’ve had that Christ did not experience, yet He unselfishly gave His time to meet the needs of others. In your relationships, strive for this deeper connection that leaves people changed for the better. Listen carefully. What’s important to them? How can you join them in prayer? Do you have a solution to something they need?

• Extend grace. Can you think of a few individuals you’re not on good terms with? Difficult people aren’t excluded from our relationship building. Broken relationships are perhaps the most important to mend and improve. Love is not easily angered (1 Corinthians 13:5) and if you find yourself holding a grudge or avoiding someone because of the past, it may be time to extend grace. Forget who started what and reach out with genuine forgiveness and an open heart.

I AM The Light of the World

John 8:12-30

• Olentangy Indian Caverns (Extreme Darkness) Guide with the Light An AHA moment

• Jesus is Declaring that He is NOT of this world and that there is something MORE!

• At the end of this text… it says that as He was saying these things… many believed. It was Jesus’ words that God used to bring people to faith. No miracles being performed… just the Word. It created an AHA MOMENT for these who were walking in darkness! It happened to them… it can happen to you!

• Notice that Jesus is declaring Himself to be the LIGHT OF THE WORLD… He is attributing that to having a relationship with The Father. He is reflecting LIGHT as a natural man who is dependent on the supernatural to live as LIGHT

• Famous Bible Teacher John Piper says…”Following Jesus is more than tagging along behind him. It means following him for who he is. Being so taken with him that you join yourself to Him.”

• BECOMING ONE WITH THE LIGHT
• And notice that when you follow him you have him — you have him as the light of life. “I am the light . . . Whoever follows me . . . will have the light . . .” You will have me, he says, as your light. If you follow me, you have me. I am yours. I am your Shepherd and your Sacrifice and your Living Water and your Bread from Heaven and your God, and your Light. Notice the last phrase of verse 12: “You will have the light of life.
• ”The eyes of our hearts are opened, and supernatural light streams into our mind, our heart and deep into our spirit. And thus we have the light of life. The light that comes from new, spiritual, eye-opening life — the life that gives sight to the blind soul, eternal life giving eternal sight.
• This is what God wants you to understand this morning… you are NOT going to find this kind of light anywhere else. Lots of us try to find the source of light in a lot of different ways… but honestly, there is only ONE WAY.
• If we don’t follow him, we do walk in darkness. And where is that darkness? It is in the world and in our hearts. So being “the light of the world” doesn’t mean removing all darkness from the world as he walks through the world.

Here’s what I think it means:

1 Jesus’s being “the light of the world” means the world has no other light than him. If there is going to be a light for the world, it will be Jesus. It is Jesus or darkness. There is no third alternative. No other light.

2 It means, therefore, that all the world, and everyone in it needs, Jesus as their light. If they decide no… that is their CHOICE but its more costly than they know

3 It means that the world was made for this light. This is not a foreign light. This is the light of the owner of the world. When this light comes, it not only makes sin plain as foreign and ugly, but it also makes everything good in the world shine with its full and true beauty. This world was made to be illumined by this light. This light of Christ is native to the world. its just that the god of this age… has blinded most people to this reality

4 And finally Jesus being “the light of the world” means that that one day this world will be filled with this light as the waters cover the sea, and all darkness, and all the works of darkness, and all the sons of darkness will be cast out. That’s why Jesus called hell “outer darkness” (Matthew 8:12; 22:13; 25:30). In that day, all will be light. Jesus, the radiance of the Father, will fill the world, and everything will be beautiful with the light of Christ.

But what about life now? What about all the different ways darkness affects us?

• He will be the light in which you see mountains and valleys and oceans and rivers and trees and animals and people. Nothing will be the same again when you have him as your light. Everything looks different in the light of Christ. Yes, even earthquakes and tsunamis and suffering and death. Until his light fills the earth as the waters cover the sea — until it and banishes sin and sickness and pain and earthquakes to the outer darkness — until then, even now, his light will help you bear the sorrows of darkness. It will be a soft glow to comfort you in your lonely room after the devastating loss. It will be a lamp on your troubled path. It will reveal the wise and loving face of God behind every frowning providence.

• We have to see him and receive him as the light of the world NOW!                          
• Or we will die in our sins and see it only when it is too late. 

• My prayer is that God will allow you to see and believe now.
• Psalm 27:1 The Lord is my LIGHT and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life… of whom shall I be afraid?