Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Entering The Darkness With The Light
Let me illustrate it for you if you don’t believe me:
Let’s say I give you 2 million dollars every day. One million for you, and one million to give away to anybody you want, any random person. Every single day you would have the “burden” and “duty” of giving away a million dollars.
-How long would you wait to give it out?
-Would it be a chore or a blessing to give the money away?
-If someone rejected the million dollars, would you feel ashamed and hide the money never to give it away again? Or would you think the person that refused the gift is crazy?
Nobody would think I was crazy if I stood on a corner shouting “Free money for those that will receive it!” They would be lining up. Nobody would shout out to me, “Don’t you have better things to do?”
If we would do this for worldly riches, why won’t we do it for eternal riches? I think it has to do more with our belief than it is our methods. Do we really believe the gospel is worth more than a million dollars?
There’s nothing relevant involved with giving away money. There shouldn’t be anything relevant about sharing the gospel, just do it. If you gave a random person on the street a million dollars, I don’t think they would reject you because of your method. They wouldn’t care if you wore sandals with socks or a 5 piece suit, because it’s the gift, not the person giving it. It’s the message, not the messenger.
If you have horrible disease, you could care less about the style of the doctor giving you a cure, you just want the cure!!
The truth is, we don’t want to be rejected, and we’ll go very far out of our way to avoid it, so far out of the way we forsake the message and commission of the gospel. We have to get over this somehow. Remember when Jesus sent out the 12 disciples? He sent them out with a “rejection clause”, He told them exactly what to do when someone rejected the message. This tells me not everybody will receive it, and that’s ok. As a matter of fact, Jesus said only few will find it. My goal now changes from trying to convince people that the gospel is true and indeed good news, to simply proclaiming the message and letting the seeds fall where they may. I can’t change the heart the seed falls into, my job is just to cast the seed out.
So, if we can focus more on simply proclaiming the news of Jesus instead of the thought of trying to “win” people, our job will be easier. The preaching of the cross is foolishness to those that are perishing. We need to get that straight first, what you’re doing IS foolish to the world, we don’t have to hide from it because it’s in the foolishness that God confounds the wise.
We can’t get in the habit of letting the world dictate our methods. The world is only getting more evil. It’s job is to push itself further from the truth of the gospel. We just need to accept these things and enter into the darkness with our light. When we do that, everything happens automatically.
Let’s say I give you 2 million dollars every day. One million for you, and one million to give away to anybody you want, any random person. Every single day you would have the “burden” and “duty” of giving away a million dollars.
-How long would you wait to give it out?
-Would it be a chore or a blessing to give the money away?
-If someone rejected the million dollars, would you feel ashamed and hide the money never to give it away again? Or would you think the person that refused the gift is crazy?
Nobody would think I was crazy if I stood on a corner shouting “Free money for those that will receive it!” They would be lining up. Nobody would shout out to me, “Don’t you have better things to do?”
If we would do this for worldly riches, why won’t we do it for eternal riches? I think it has to do more with our belief than it is our methods. Do we really believe the gospel is worth more than a million dollars?
There’s nothing relevant involved with giving away money. There shouldn’t be anything relevant about sharing the gospel, just do it. If you gave a random person on the street a million dollars, I don’t think they would reject you because of your method. They wouldn’t care if you wore sandals with socks or a 5 piece suit, because it’s the gift, not the person giving it. It’s the message, not the messenger.
If you have horrible disease, you could care less about the style of the doctor giving you a cure, you just want the cure!!
The truth is, we don’t want to be rejected, and we’ll go very far out of our way to avoid it, so far out of the way we forsake the message and commission of the gospel. We have to get over this somehow. Remember when Jesus sent out the 12 disciples? He sent them out with a “rejection clause”, He told them exactly what to do when someone rejected the message. This tells me not everybody will receive it, and that’s ok. As a matter of fact, Jesus said only few will find it. My goal now changes from trying to convince people that the gospel is true and indeed good news, to simply proclaiming the message and letting the seeds fall where they may. I can’t change the heart the seed falls into, my job is just to cast the seed out.
So, if we can focus more on simply proclaiming the news of Jesus instead of the thought of trying to “win” people, our job will be easier. The preaching of the cross is foolishness to those that are perishing. We need to get that straight first, what you’re doing IS foolish to the world, we don’t have to hide from it because it’s in the foolishness that God confounds the wise.
We can’t get in the habit of letting the world dictate our methods. The world is only getting more evil. It’s job is to push itself further from the truth of the gospel. We just need to accept these things and enter into the darkness with our light. When we do that, everything happens automatically.
Galatians 1
1Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2and all the brothers with me,
To the churches in Galatia:
3Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
No Other Gospel
6I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! 9As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!
10Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Paul Called by God
11I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. 12I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.
13For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. 14I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15But when God, who set me apart from birth[a] and called me by his grace, was pleased 16to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.
18Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter[b] and stayed with him fifteen days. 19I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord's brother. 20I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie. 21Later I went to Syria and Cilicia. 22I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23They only heard the report: "The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy." 24And they praised God because of me.
Footnotes:
1. Galatians 1:15 Or from my mother's womb
2. Galatians 1:18 Greek Cephas
To the churches in Galatia:
3Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
No Other Gospel
6I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! 9As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!
10Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Paul Called by God
11I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. 12I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.
13For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. 14I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15But when God, who set me apart from birth[a] and called me by his grace, was pleased 16to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.
18Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter[b] and stayed with him fifteen days. 19I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord's brother. 20I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie. 21Later I went to Syria and Cilicia. 22I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23They only heard the report: "The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy." 24And they praised God because of me.
Footnotes:
1. Galatians 1:15 Or from my mother's womb
2. Galatians 1:18 Greek Cephas
Tim Hawkins "Cletus Take the Reel"
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
2 Corinthians 10:5
Spark The True Flame
Since the beginning of time, man has thought he was smart enough to know everything about this world. Whether it was the shape of the earth or how computers would affect our lives, man always develops a theory. We just seem to be consistently wrong. Our videos are created as sermon illustrations and should be purchased for use in small groups, churches, assemblies, etc. Downloads and DVDs are available at www.ignitermedia.com.
Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.
Psalms 74:22
Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.
Psalms 74:22
My Trials Don't Defeat Me
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
1 John 3:2
1 John 3:2
Chaplain, Dallas Mavericks - Tony Evans - I Am Second
1 Samuel 16:16
Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the harp. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes upon you, and you will feel better."
If we're created equal, why am I in second place.
Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the harp. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes upon you, and you will feel better."
If we're created equal, why am I in second place.
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