04/03/11 - Whats in Your Hand PT2 - Pastor Tony Ashmore

Pastor Tony Ashmore continues the series "What's In Your Hand, A Story to Tell" in this Sunday service.

What's In Your Hand PT2
Pastor Tony Ashmore
Sunday, April 3, 2011

www.mylifegatechurch.com


Sermon Notes:

A Story to Tell  (Turn to Exodus 1st and mark it, then start with Romans)

Romans 15:17-19 “So I have reason to be enthusiastic about all Christ Jesus has done through me in my service to God. Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them.”

Exodus 4:1-5 “But Moses protested again, “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The Lord never appeared to you’?”  Then the Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?”  “A shepherd’s staff,” Moses replied. “Throw it down on the ground,” the Lord told him. So Moses threw down the staff, and it turned into a snake! Moses jumped back.  Then the Lord told him, “Reach out and grab its tail.” So Moses reached out and grabbed it, and it turned back into a shepherd’s staff in his hand. “Perform this sign,” the Lord told him. “Then they will believe that the Lord, the God of their ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—really has appeared to you.”


“What’s that in your hand?” You Have a Story to Tell: You already have what you need to change the world—to achieve your destiny.  It’s in your hand.  Each of us are on a journey, running a race.  Each of us has a story.   


4 Components to Your Story: GATE

-   Gift: Romans 12 motivational gifts—all are servant gifts—serving others makes a place for you.  “I didn’t come to be served, but to serve.”  Moses had a leadership gift—abused it resulting in death and disgrace.  Used it to serve Jesse by shepherding. Romans 12:5 “We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.”

-   Ability: profession, trade, educational—all position you to tell your story.  Moses was a shepherd with a staff.  Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.”  All of them can be used by God to prepare you.  You are not wasting your time, and you are on mission while you are doing any of them.  Don’t wait for ‘the mission’. Be ‘on mission’.

-   Talent: hobbies, your “art”: an innate interest that brings you satisfaction and allows you to express yourself.  You may be a “gifted musician” but it is your talent, not your gift. Don’t get them mixed up or the attention will shift from God to you.  Matthew 25:14-30—Talent given to you to invest and grow for the good of the King and the Kingdom. Moses seemed to have a flair for the dramatic: this is where his temper got in the way.  God used that talent to get people’s attention.  The temper had to be ‘laid down’ because it compromised Kingdom effectiveness.

-   Experience: the things that happen to us in our journey—both good and bad. Turning points.  Defining moments (example: Maxwell’s conversation starter—What is a defining moment in your life?) These give us “connection points” with others so we can make the name of Jesus famous.  Moses had a connection point with the Israelites, but it was ineffective until it pointed people to God instead of to Moses.  The difference—humility.  Numbers 12:3 Message “Now the man Moses was a quietly humble man, more so than anyone living on Earth.”


Tell Your Story

-   Chain of Grace.  1 Corinthians 3:6 “I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow.”  Each story adds up to change the world. Jackie, Robin, Stacy, Logan steakhouse.  Your story matters and God will use it if you will tell it.

-   Use Words When Necessary.  We have the answer.  Live a life that causes people to ask the questions.  Romans 10:14 “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?”  We are His billboard.  People drive by a billboard advertising tires every day.  When do they notice it?  When they need tires.  Studies show that today’s generation must hear your story over 20 times before they ever really hear it.  Live the story of Grace in front of people every day.  Guard your influence.  It is your investment in lives and the payoff is the opportunity to tell your story.  The result—lives changed and eternity assured.

-   Elevator Music.  2 Timothy 4:2 “Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.” Learn to tell your story in the amount of time it takes to ride an elevator 5 floors.  That’s how much time you have to get the door open.  What’s the question that will start the conversation?

-   Recognize the Times. 1 Chronicles 12:32 “From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take.” There are times to be gentle, moving at a relaxed pace to earn the right to tell your story.  There are times to be aggressive, to make sure someone’s eternity is safe.  Learn to tell your story to fit the case.

-   Assume Nothing.  Many of your friends don’t know they can come to church.  Invite them.  (Example: unchurched friend—“Can anybody come to your church or do you have to be a member?”)  Right now, ask the person on either side of you if they know Jesus and if they know Heaven is their destiny.