“Making An Impact”
Pastor Jim Lowe III
Sunday Morning, 9:30am Stream 08/11/24 (2nd Sunday Message)
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{All scriptures are NIV84 unless stated}
Message Title:
“Making An Impact”
We were talking about gifts and serving last month. There is a purpose and plan God has for us all.
Romans 12:1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.
In view of God’s mercy.
In view of the goodness he’s shown to us… We are URGED to offer our bodies to him.
as a living sacrifice.
Holy and pleasing.
Because that is our spiritual act of worship.
Looking closer Paul is saying that he is urging US.
“Brothers…” this tells us who he’s talking to.
He is NOT talking to the world. He is talking to US.
Brothers and Sisters… Believers!
The SAVED people!
“I thought if you were saved you didn’t need to do anything else??” That we’re gonna get into heaven!
Paul is urging you to offer yourselves.
Urge comes from the greek word “parakaleo” It means to implore…
It means to beg…
Paul is BEGGING us to do something… don’t just be saved.
There is an action required.
We are to offer our BODIES as a sacrifice for God.
What Does Being A Sacrifice For God Mean?
It means you aren’t living for:
Being A Sacrifice For God Means Not Living For:
this means not doing exclusively what WE want. what and when we want.
it also means following the WHOLE bible.
…not just some of it.
we tend to have a version of the bible we follow. changes we’ll make
things we won’t do.
“what we like vs what we don’t agree with”
Being A Living Sacrifice Means To Live According To God’s Standards, Not Our Own!
Not just trying to be led by God… but also living FOR God.
This means before we make big decisions, we pray about it.
Before taking a new job, do you pray about it?
Before buying that home or car, do you pray about it? Before marrying that person, do you pray about it?
As bad as we might want those things…
Being a living sacrifice means to make sure to constantly “check ourselves” with what God says.
Does it line up with what God wants?
Does it line up with what God says?
Being A Sacrifice For God Means Not Living For:
if you aren’t living FULLY for God
…who are you living for?
Yourself?
Someone Else?
Your Children Your Parents
Someone who doesn’t deserve it?
Exodus 20:3
You shall have no other God’s before me.
God makes it plain that nothing should take the place of him.
These are things like other people.
Not our spouse, significant other. Not our children or our parents. Not our bosses. Not anyone.
Nothing is to come before our God.
We are BEGGED to offer our bodies as sacrifices to God alone! Why?
19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
Our lives are not our own.
We should honor God with our body.
so if we are to be a living sacrifice:
What Does God Expect From Us?
This goes back to what we had been saying the over the last month.
Galatians 5:13
13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.
We were called to be free. We were bought with a price.
But we shouldn’t use that freedom to do what we want. We are to SERVE ONE ANOTHER in love.
We are to serve.
The Life Of A Christian Is Defined By 2 Things:
One of these is internal.
…our relationship with him.
One of these is external.
…our serving of others.
Matthew 22:35
35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
ALL the law and prophets hang on these two commandments. One is for YOU.
The other is an action for SOMEONE else.
Thinking about someone else…
giving a sacrifice of yourselves… to SERVE someone else!
Galatians 5:13 (b)
But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.
Serve one another in love… Serve…serve…serve…
in love…
in SOMETHING.
if you don’t remember, love is an action!
Serving Others Means To Make An Action To Use What You Have To Help Someone Else!
Luke 10:33-35
33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
What did the Samaritan do? He SERVED the other man.
His show of love was service to someone else.
We as believers have to get BACK to loving and serving by ACTION. Action…action is something you DO.
And that action involves SOMEONE else!
The Body Of Christ Today Is Too Heavily Focused On “Me” And Not Focused Enough On “Us!"
We are placing our own comforts in front of God.
We are placing our ourselves… our families…
our desires
…all these things above God.
Paul is BEGGING us to offer our bodies as sacrifices to God. Paul is TELLING us to SERVE one another in love.
God May Hear What We Say, But He Is LOOKING At What We Do!
Psalm 33:12-15
12Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance. 13From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; 14from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth—15 he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.
BLESSED is the nation whose God is the Lord.
Your Faith Is Defined By Action!
This is what a believer is about.
SHOWING the love of God through and action. SHOWING the love of God through serving.
In The Lord’s Eyes, We Aren’t Defined By How Well We Talk. We’re Defined By How Well We ACT!
It doesn’t matter what we say…what are we DOING?
Matthew 15:8-9
8 “ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’”
This means there is a right way to come to the Lord… and a wrong way!
Saying You Love The Lord Doesn’t Mean Anything If You Can’t Show It!
Live our lives in a way that people KNOW you love God.
How??
By loving and SERVING his people.
We Are Saved To Serve!
Your church is offering ways to serve others.
This is an opportunity to use your gift to help someone else.
If you are serving…
are you serving according to your gifts?
We will be having a Ministry Fair next week.
This is a great time to find the best place you can work to serve someone else. This week:
Do you know your gifts?
Spiritual Gifts Test:
https://giftstest.com/test
Contact Us:
info@guidinglight.org
Just let us know your results and we can send you a form where you can look at your results and pick a ministry.
We’ve got to get to serving.
If you are faithfully coming and NOT serving… we need you.
If you are not faithfully coming and not serving… we need you to come AND serve.
If you are faithfully watching online and ABLE to come to church. it’s time to come on back.
we need you.
God is looking for those who are giving their lives to him.
For the eyes of the LORD roam throughout the earth, so that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.
God wants us to give ourselves to him.
And by doing HIS will do we get strengthened. What’s his will?
To serve others.
Even when you get tired…God himself will strengthen you.
We Aren’t Saved Just For Ourselves. We Are Saved To Serve Others!
