Pastor Michael Adams continues the series "Reel Life" with part 3, "Despicable Me" in this Sunday morning celebration.
Reel Life PT3
Pastor Michael Adams
Sunday, July 24, 2011
www.mylifegatechurch.com
Sermon Notes:
07/24/11 - Reel Life Part 3 - Pastor Michael Adams
Despicable Me - Finding Your Purpose
2 Kings 6:17
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2 Kings 6:17 (NLT)
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Then Elisha prayed, “OLord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.
Open our eyes...
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* Open our eyes to the mission God has planned for our lives!
* Open our eyes to see the extraordinary life beyond the wardrobe!
* Open our eyes to the greater purpose for which we were created!
1. Your Purpose will Bug You
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Scene #1
Starts- Girls knock on the door to sell Gru cookies
Ends- Gru says “ We are going to steal the moon”
Acts 9:1-2
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Acts 9:1-2 (NLT)
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Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.
Acts 9:20
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Acts 9:20 (NLT)
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And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is indeed the Son of God!”
1. Your Purpose will Bug You (continued)
===============
* Saul’s purpose in life was around him the whole time, Gru’s purpose was knocking at his door and we might find God’s purpose for our lives in the thing that bugs us the most.
* God’s purpose for our lives is within our reach.
2. Your Purpose is Found in the Small Things
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* There are defining moments in your life where you feel like you slammed into your purpose but God wants us to discover our purpose in each day
Jeremiah 29:11-14
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Jeremiah 29:11-14 (NLT)
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For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”
2. Your Purpose is Found in the Small Things (continued)
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* When we intentionally seek the Lord wholeheartedly we will discover God’s purpose in the smallest details of our lives.
* Real relationships are built in the small things.
3. Life Without Your Purpose Stinks
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Scene #2
Starts: The Doctor and Gru meet in the hallway
Ends: Gru rolls over on the toys in the bed
John 4:27-36
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John 4:27-36 (NLT)
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Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask, “What do you want with her?” or “Why are you talking to her?” The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” So the people came streaming from the village to see him.
Meanwhile, the disciples were urging Jesus, “Rabbi, eat something.”
But Jesus replied, “I have a kind of food you know nothing about.”
“Did someone bring him food while we were gone?” the disciples asked each other.
Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work. You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest. The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike!
3. Life Without Your Purpose Stinks (continued)
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* Gru thought his greatest purpose was to steal the moon and like him we can get easily distracted in this life to pursue things other than our purpose
* He had the moon but was still empty
4. Your Purpose will Cost Something
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Scene #3
Starts: Gru walks in the bedroom to tuck the girls in bed
End: Gru closes the book
Luke 14:26-31
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Luke 14:26-31 (NLT)
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“If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.
“But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’
“Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him?
4. Your Purpose will Cost Something (continued)
===============
* Life is full of check points. God calls us to a higher place with him but it requires that we let go – personal rights, comfort zones, past, sin.
* When we lose more of our lives we discover more of our purpose
* God created all of us with a greater purpose and that purpose will always be intertwined with people- Jesus paints a perfect picture of His purpose and ours in Luke 15 ( the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son)
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Sunday, July 17, 2011
07/17/11 - Reel Life Part 2 - Pastor Tony Ashmore
Pastor Tony Ashmore continues the series "Reel Life" with part 2, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe" in this Sunday morning celebration.
Reel Life PT2
Pastor Tony Ashmore
Sunday, July 17, 2011
www.mylifegatechurch.com
Sermon Notes:
Reel Life: The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe
2 Kings 6:17 “Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.” The “beyond belief” life we all want is surrounding us. We have been given life and life abundantly, rich and satisfying life, more and better life (John 10:10). Too often we let life, as dictated by our circumstances, hide from our eyes the real life Jesus died to give us. There is a great adventure awaiting us every day in the Kingdom of God. Let’s ask God to open our eyes to it.
Facts on Lewis and Book:
* Almost wasn’t published due to criticism of overt Christian allegory and violence
* Idea came from a picture of the faun he remembered seeing as a boy
* Lewis began the book during WWII while hosting 3 young girls sent from London to escape the blitz bombings
* Aslan is an allegory of the substitution and the ransom work of Christ
* Time magazine lists the book as one of the 100 most important English works
Ephesians 3:20 “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” (NKJV—exceedingly, abundantly above all we might ask or think)
Psalm 8:4-6 “what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor. You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority”
1. Scene where children back through the wardrobe and enter Narnia:
The ordinary can be the entrance to the extraordinary. The children were faced with tough circumstances, shipped off due to escape the ravages of war, separated from parents, afraid of new caregivers. All the ‘ordinary’ things of life—those daily circumstances and the daily grind. Those things can lull us to sleep—close our eyes and ears to the extraordinary life surrounding us in the Kingdom of God.
(Hebrews 6:11-12 “Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.”)
(Romans 8:15 MESSAGE “This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa?" God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what's coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we're certainly going to go through the good times with him!”)
David’s example of looking for the extraordinary opportunities in the ordinary:
1 Samuel 17:45 (Message) “David answered, "You come at me with sword and spear and battle-ax. I come at you in the name of God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel's troops, whom you curse and mock. This very day God is handing you over to me. I'm about to kill you, cut off your head, and serve up your body and the bodies of your Philistine buddies to the crows and coyotes. The whole earth will know that there's an extraordinary God in Israel. And everyone gathered here will learn that God doesn't save by means of sword or spear. The battle belongs to God—he's handing you to us on a platter!" David’s ordinary skills—able to accurately use a slingshot—opened the door for the extraordinary. He honed those skills in everyday, mundane, sometimes even boring, duties of shepherding. He was easily forgotten—note his dad didn’t even present him to Samuel as a son when Samuel came looking for a king. But God knew exactly where he was and what he was doing. David was on the backside of nowhere practicing—much like a little boy throwing a ball against a wall pretending he is in the World Series. God also knew David’s heart—that he would make reckless mistakes but also that he would recklessly love and honor God. The ordinary became the door for David to become the greatest king in the history of Israel and the world.
2. Scene where children are crowned as royalty next to Aslan the Lion:
We are created to have dominion. Creation, circumstances within creation, should not rule over us or determine what our life looks like. God created us to express His personality (in Our image), exhibit His power (in Our likeness), and extend His Kingdom (have dominion over).
Revelation 1:6 NKJV “(Jesus) has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
Philippians 4:10 MESSAGE “I'm glad in God, far happier than you would ever guess…Actually, I don't have a sense of needing anything personally. I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.”
So What?
1. Quit thinking like a ‘mere man’ (1 Corinthians 16:13 KJV)—You are made in the image of God—His thoughts and ways are higher—an HNL! Start getting His thoughts, speaking His Words, doing His actions in your ordinary days.
2. Do your best, even in the mundane. Proverbs 22:29 “Do you see any truly competent workers? They will serve kings rather than working for ordinary people.”
3. Raise your expectations—people usually get what they expect. Expect the miraculous, expect the extraordinary, expect the supernatural God to intervene in our natural lives. Live the adventure. 2 Corinthians 3:8-9 “Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God!”
Reel Life PT2
Pastor Tony Ashmore
Sunday, July 17, 2011
www.mylifegatechurch.com
Sermon Notes:
Reel Life: The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe
2 Kings 6:17 “Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.” The “beyond belief” life we all want is surrounding us. We have been given life and life abundantly, rich and satisfying life, more and better life (John 10:10). Too often we let life, as dictated by our circumstances, hide from our eyes the real life Jesus died to give us. There is a great adventure awaiting us every day in the Kingdom of God. Let’s ask God to open our eyes to it.
Facts on Lewis and Book:
* Almost wasn’t published due to criticism of overt Christian allegory and violence
* Idea came from a picture of the faun he remembered seeing as a boy
* Lewis began the book during WWII while hosting 3 young girls sent from London to escape the blitz bombings
* Aslan is an allegory of the substitution and the ransom work of Christ
* Time magazine lists the book as one of the 100 most important English works
Ephesians 3:20 “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” (NKJV—exceedingly, abundantly above all we might ask or think)
Psalm 8:4-6 “what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor. You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority”
1. Scene where children back through the wardrobe and enter Narnia:
The ordinary can be the entrance to the extraordinary. The children were faced with tough circumstances, shipped off due to escape the ravages of war, separated from parents, afraid of new caregivers. All the ‘ordinary’ things of life—those daily circumstances and the daily grind. Those things can lull us to sleep—close our eyes and ears to the extraordinary life surrounding us in the Kingdom of God.
(Hebrews 6:11-12 “Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.”)
(Romans 8:15 MESSAGE “This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa?" God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what's coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we're certainly going to go through the good times with him!”)
David’s example of looking for the extraordinary opportunities in the ordinary:
1 Samuel 17:45 (Message) “David answered, "You come at me with sword and spear and battle-ax. I come at you in the name of God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel's troops, whom you curse and mock. This very day God is handing you over to me. I'm about to kill you, cut off your head, and serve up your body and the bodies of your Philistine buddies to the crows and coyotes. The whole earth will know that there's an extraordinary God in Israel. And everyone gathered here will learn that God doesn't save by means of sword or spear. The battle belongs to God—he's handing you to us on a platter!" David’s ordinary skills—able to accurately use a slingshot—opened the door for the extraordinary. He honed those skills in everyday, mundane, sometimes even boring, duties of shepherding. He was easily forgotten—note his dad didn’t even present him to Samuel as a son when Samuel came looking for a king. But God knew exactly where he was and what he was doing. David was on the backside of nowhere practicing—much like a little boy throwing a ball against a wall pretending he is in the World Series. God also knew David’s heart—that he would make reckless mistakes but also that he would recklessly love and honor God. The ordinary became the door for David to become the greatest king in the history of Israel and the world.
2. Scene where children are crowned as royalty next to Aslan the Lion:
We are created to have dominion. Creation, circumstances within creation, should not rule over us or determine what our life looks like. God created us to express His personality (in Our image), exhibit His power (in Our likeness), and extend His Kingdom (have dominion over).
Revelation 1:6 NKJV “(Jesus) has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
Philippians 4:10 MESSAGE “I'm glad in God, far happier than you would ever guess…Actually, I don't have a sense of needing anything personally. I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.”
So What?
1. Quit thinking like a ‘mere man’ (1 Corinthians 16:13 KJV)—You are made in the image of God—His thoughts and ways are higher—an HNL! Start getting His thoughts, speaking His Words, doing His actions in your ordinary days.
2. Do your best, even in the mundane. Proverbs 22:29 “Do you see any truly competent workers? They will serve kings rather than working for ordinary people.”
3. Raise your expectations—people usually get what they expect. Expect the miraculous, expect the extraordinary, expect the supernatural God to intervene in our natural lives. Live the adventure. 2 Corinthians 3:8-9 “Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God!”
Sunday, July 10, 2011
07/10/11 - Living On Mission - Pastor Tony Ashmore
Pastor Tony Ashmore teaches "Living On Mission" in this Sunday morning celebration.
Living On Mission
Pastor Tony Ashmore
Sunday, July 10, 2011
www.mylifegatechurch.com
Sermon Notes:
1 Samuel 15:18 "And the Lord sent you on a mission..."
We are on a mission, either one of our choosing or the one He has chosen us for and for us. (Esther 4:14; Ephesians 2:10)
2 Kings 6:17 “Then Elisha prayed, “OLord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.”
Ephesians 4:1 "Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God."
Living on Mission
John 17:13-19 Message "Now I'm returning to you. I'm saying these things in the world's hearing So my people can experience My joy completed in them. I gave them your word; The godless world hated them because of it, Because they didn't join the world's ways, Just as I didn't join the world's ways. I'm not asking that you take them out of the world But that you guard them from the Evil One. They are no more defined by the world Than I am defined by the world. Make them holy—consecrated—with the truth; Your word is consecrating truth. In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world. I'm consecrating myself for their sakes So they'll be truth-consecrated in their mission."
Jesus is giving keys to living a life filled with His joy-a life of 'completed joy'-and one of those keys is to discover your mission and pursue it.
* Everybody is living on mission
* The mission you are living is either one of your choosing or The One He chose for you.
* Real life, full and abundant life, rich and satisfying life, is only found in The Mission. Every other mission will eventually lead to "kill, steal, destroy".
So What?
* Get honest with yourself-Whose mission are you living?
- Are you satisfied or is it 'never enough'?
- Are you experiencing persecution or roadblocks?
- Whose kingdom does your mission benefit 1st and foremost?
* Find your mission:
- You have 'bumped into' your mission sometimes along the way in your journey (an inner knowing, pointed out by others, the things that attract you, the skills you have developed) Your mission is all around you. Ask the Lord to open your eyes to it. (2 Kings 6:17)
- Your mission is a 'service mission'-who needs serving in your circle of influence? What fuels your compassion? (Luke 10-Parable of the Good Samaritan is about mission. 1st two had their mission confused. Last understood how easy it is to find your mission.)
* Engage in your mission:
- 'Cross the road and get in the ditch'.
- Embrace the interruptions.
- Invest your time, talent and resources.
- Don't come off your 'ladder'. (Nehemiah 6:3)
Living On Mission
Pastor Tony Ashmore
Sunday, July 10, 2011
www.mylifegatechurch.com
Sermon Notes:
1 Samuel 15:18 "And the Lord sent you on a mission..."
We are on a mission, either one of our choosing or the one He has chosen us for and for us. (Esther 4:14; Ephesians 2:10)
2 Kings 6:17 “Then Elisha prayed, “OLord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.”
Ephesians 4:1 "Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God."
Living on Mission
John 17:13-19 Message "Now I'm returning to you. I'm saying these things in the world's hearing So my people can experience My joy completed in them. I gave them your word; The godless world hated them because of it, Because they didn't join the world's ways, Just as I didn't join the world's ways. I'm not asking that you take them out of the world But that you guard them from the Evil One. They are no more defined by the world Than I am defined by the world. Make them holy—consecrated—with the truth; Your word is consecrating truth. In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world. I'm consecrating myself for their sakes So they'll be truth-consecrated in their mission."
Jesus is giving keys to living a life filled with His joy-a life of 'completed joy'-and one of those keys is to discover your mission and pursue it.
* Everybody is living on mission
* The mission you are living is either one of your choosing or The One He chose for you.
* Real life, full and abundant life, rich and satisfying life, is only found in The Mission. Every other mission will eventually lead to "kill, steal, destroy".
So What?
* Get honest with yourself-Whose mission are you living?
- Are you satisfied or is it 'never enough'?
- Are you experiencing persecution or roadblocks?
- Whose kingdom does your mission benefit 1st and foremost?
* Find your mission:
- You have 'bumped into' your mission sometimes along the way in your journey (an inner knowing, pointed out by others, the things that attract you, the skills you have developed) Your mission is all around you. Ask the Lord to open your eyes to it. (2 Kings 6:17)
- Your mission is a 'service mission'-who needs serving in your circle of influence? What fuels your compassion? (Luke 10-Parable of the Good Samaritan is about mission. 1st two had their mission confused. Last understood how easy it is to find your mission.)
* Engage in your mission:
- 'Cross the road and get in the ditch'.
- Embrace the interruptions.
- Invest your time, talent and resources.
- Don't come off your 'ladder'. (Nehemiah 6:3)
Sunday, July 3, 2011
07/03/11 - Blood Spirit and Water - Pastor Tony Ashmore
Pastor Tony Ashmore teaches on "Blood, Spirit, & Water" in this Sunday morning celebration.
Blood, Spirit, & Water
Pastor Tony Ashmore
Sunday, July 03, 2011
www.mylifegatechurch.com
Sermon Notes:
The Blood, the Spirit, the Water
In 1776, with America's hard-won battle for freedom behind them, the people of our country wanted a national flag that would symbolize not only their independence, but their spirit of unity. The Continental Congress responded by passing the first "Flag Act" which established the first official flag for our nation. It stated: "Resolved that the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes alternate red and white: that the union be thirteen stars, white on a blue field." The significance of the colors was defined thus: White signifies purity and innocence; Red, hardiness and valor; Blue, vigilance, perseverance, and justice.
Our national anthem—the Star Spangled Banner, was written by Francis Scott Key. He was being held prisoner on a British ship during the War of 1812. He was participating in a prisoner exchange but overheard the plans for an invasion, so he was held until the battle was done. As the darkness grew, his only sign that the Americans were still standing firm was a glimpse every now and then of the battered flag above their fort. At dawn, the tattered flag had been replaced by a new, larger flag and Key knew his country had withstood the onslaught.
Just as the red, white and blue signified to Key that the attack had failed, God has given us 3 witnesses to affirm we are winning. If we will learn to embrace these witnesses, nurture their place in our lives, they will always be there, even in the midst of an all-out assault against us, to confirm we have life and God’s promises to us are true.
There are lots of things that want to tell us we have life, lots of influences and influencers that want to define what life is and what it looks like. We have been given 3 witnesses that confirm we have life, and are living it. It’s so easy to be seduced, deceived, or just fall asleep at the wheel. So if we seek these 3 witnesses in our personal lives, we will know we are in “The Way.”
Nehemiah 9:20 “You sent your good Spirit to instruct them, and you did not stop giving them manna from heaven or water for their thirst.” Jesus is the manna from Heaven, his flesh and blood. (John 6:57-58)
1 John 5:7 “So we have these three witnesses—the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and all three agree.”
The Blood:
Leviticus 17:11 "for the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the Lord. It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible."
Leviticus 17:14 "The life of every creature is in its blood. That is why I have said to the people of Israel, ‘You must never eat or drink blood, for the life of any creature is in its blood.’ So whoever consumes blood will be cut off from the community." We must be cut off from the community of sin (not sinners). The 'community of sin' has death to expect (the wages of sin is death). There is only one blood that can do that--the blood of a perfect sinless man--Jesus.
John 6:53 "So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you." The Jews would struggle with this because of the prohibition in the Mosaic law of eating blood.
The Spirit:
John 6:63 “The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”
Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Romans 8:11 “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.”
1 Corinthians 2:12 “And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.”
2 Corinthians 1:22 “and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.” The presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives is God’s guarantee that Jesus is alive and we are born again.
The Water:
Ephesians 5:25-26 “For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.”
Jeremiah 2:13 “For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me—the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!” Cisterns are stagnant holding ponds used when there is no fresh water. Jesus challenges us to seek fresh, flowing water—living water—was the term used in His culture to describe a clean, flowing spring of refreshing water.
John 7:38 “Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.” Note it is drink, not think—it is an action of trust. The word drink here does not denote a little sip, like we were testing its goodness, nor does it denote a little sip as if we were not really thirsty. It is a gulping drink of a thirsty person who has found fresh, cool water.
There is an alternative to each of these offered by the kingdom of darkness designed to dilute the power of each or place them in the category of fables.
Blood:
The perversion of this is the idolatry practices of drinking the blood of an animal or another human to take on their attributes. The myth of vampires is the perversion of this. The danger with these seemingly harmless fables are the same danger with any fable that takes God's attributes or actions and imitates them--they become the stuff of "fables". 'Next generation' has a harder time believing because all the other examples are lies. Another is the constant exposure to blood spilling—causing us to become desensitized to the power of His blood.
Spirit:
being 'spiritual', witchcraft, rituals-even so-called Christian rituals. (exorcism, redeeming the curse, etc)
Water:
cisterns of our own rather than living water (springs of Dan), how to books, formulas-even those based on the Word, other words placed in the "holy" realm--not just those so easily recognizable such as the Koran, the book of Mormon, etc., but also those that trump God's Word in our lives: fashion and cultural mags that define the way we dress, look, talk, the stuff we invest our time talent and resources into, the tv show that we imitate, the celebrity whose life and words are our model, the business model that compromises God's Word, the economic indicators that dictate our money decisions, the scarcity worldview that causes us to be protectionists and hoarders, the fear that tells us to drive the 'stranger' from our land (remember, had Rahab or Ruth been deported there would be no Messiah)
So What:
* Recognize our continual need for the fellowship of the Blood—our connections empower the Blood work of Jesus in our lives. (1 John 1:7 “But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.”)
* Treat the Holy Spirit like He is real and present. Embrace His presence daily. (Acts 13:52 NASB)
* Thirsty people act thirsty. Drink the Word like you drink physical liquid. There is not drought. (Psalm 42:1 “As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.”)
Conclusion:
Hebrews 10:22 “let us go right into the presence of God (the Spirit) with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.”
When we protect the witness of the Blood, the Spirit and the Water in our lives, we live in the presence of God where we find mercy, grace and help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:13)
Just as the red, white and blue of our flag mean we belong—the Blood, the Spirit and the Water are our witnesses that we belong—regardless of what our own doubts or our enemy tell us.
Blood, Spirit, & Water
Pastor Tony Ashmore
Sunday, July 03, 2011
www.mylifegatechurch.com
Sermon Notes:
The Blood, the Spirit, the Water
In 1776, with America's hard-won battle for freedom behind them, the people of our country wanted a national flag that would symbolize not only their independence, but their spirit of unity. The Continental Congress responded by passing the first "Flag Act" which established the first official flag for our nation. It stated: "Resolved that the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes alternate red and white: that the union be thirteen stars, white on a blue field." The significance of the colors was defined thus: White signifies purity and innocence; Red, hardiness and valor; Blue, vigilance, perseverance, and justice.
Our national anthem—the Star Spangled Banner, was written by Francis Scott Key. He was being held prisoner on a British ship during the War of 1812. He was participating in a prisoner exchange but overheard the plans for an invasion, so he was held until the battle was done. As the darkness grew, his only sign that the Americans were still standing firm was a glimpse every now and then of the battered flag above their fort. At dawn, the tattered flag had been replaced by a new, larger flag and Key knew his country had withstood the onslaught.
Just as the red, white and blue signified to Key that the attack had failed, God has given us 3 witnesses to affirm we are winning. If we will learn to embrace these witnesses, nurture their place in our lives, they will always be there, even in the midst of an all-out assault against us, to confirm we have life and God’s promises to us are true.
There are lots of things that want to tell us we have life, lots of influences and influencers that want to define what life is and what it looks like. We have been given 3 witnesses that confirm we have life, and are living it. It’s so easy to be seduced, deceived, or just fall asleep at the wheel. So if we seek these 3 witnesses in our personal lives, we will know we are in “The Way.”
Nehemiah 9:20 “You sent your good Spirit to instruct them, and you did not stop giving them manna from heaven or water for their thirst.” Jesus is the manna from Heaven, his flesh and blood. (John 6:57-58)
1 John 5:7 “So we have these three witnesses—the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and all three agree.”
The Blood:
Leviticus 17:11 "for the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the Lord. It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible."
Leviticus 17:14 "The life of every creature is in its blood. That is why I have said to the people of Israel, ‘You must never eat or drink blood, for the life of any creature is in its blood.’ So whoever consumes blood will be cut off from the community." We must be cut off from the community of sin (not sinners). The 'community of sin' has death to expect (the wages of sin is death). There is only one blood that can do that--the blood of a perfect sinless man--Jesus.
John 6:53 "So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you." The Jews would struggle with this because of the prohibition in the Mosaic law of eating blood.
The Spirit:
John 6:63 “The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”
Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Romans 8:11 “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.”
1 Corinthians 2:12 “And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.”
2 Corinthians 1:22 “and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.” The presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives is God’s guarantee that Jesus is alive and we are born again.
The Water:
Ephesians 5:25-26 “For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.”
Jeremiah 2:13 “For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me—the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!” Cisterns are stagnant holding ponds used when there is no fresh water. Jesus challenges us to seek fresh, flowing water—living water—was the term used in His culture to describe a clean, flowing spring of refreshing water.
John 7:38 “Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.” Note it is drink, not think—it is an action of trust. The word drink here does not denote a little sip, like we were testing its goodness, nor does it denote a little sip as if we were not really thirsty. It is a gulping drink of a thirsty person who has found fresh, cool water.
There is an alternative to each of these offered by the kingdom of darkness designed to dilute the power of each or place them in the category of fables.
Blood:
The perversion of this is the idolatry practices of drinking the blood of an animal or another human to take on their attributes. The myth of vampires is the perversion of this. The danger with these seemingly harmless fables are the same danger with any fable that takes God's attributes or actions and imitates them--they become the stuff of "fables". 'Next generation' has a harder time believing because all the other examples are lies. Another is the constant exposure to blood spilling—causing us to become desensitized to the power of His blood.
Spirit:
being 'spiritual', witchcraft, rituals-even so-called Christian rituals. (exorcism, redeeming the curse, etc)
Water:
cisterns of our own rather than living water (springs of Dan), how to books, formulas-even those based on the Word, other words placed in the "holy" realm--not just those so easily recognizable such as the Koran, the book of Mormon, etc., but also those that trump God's Word in our lives: fashion and cultural mags that define the way we dress, look, talk, the stuff we invest our time talent and resources into, the tv show that we imitate, the celebrity whose life and words are our model, the business model that compromises God's Word, the economic indicators that dictate our money decisions, the scarcity worldview that causes us to be protectionists and hoarders, the fear that tells us to drive the 'stranger' from our land (remember, had Rahab or Ruth been deported there would be no Messiah)
So What:
* Recognize our continual need for the fellowship of the Blood—our connections empower the Blood work of Jesus in our lives. (1 John 1:7 “But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.”)
* Treat the Holy Spirit like He is real and present. Embrace His presence daily. (Acts 13:52 NASB)
* Thirsty people act thirsty. Drink the Word like you drink physical liquid. There is not drought. (Psalm 42:1 “As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.”)
Conclusion:
Hebrews 10:22 “let us go right into the presence of God (the Spirit) with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.”
When we protect the witness of the Blood, the Spirit and the Water in our lives, we live in the presence of God where we find mercy, grace and help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:13)
Just as the red, white and blue of our flag mean we belong—the Blood, the Spirit and the Water are our witnesses that we belong—regardless of what our own doubts or our enemy tell us.
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