A Dedicated Life - The Church (notes)

A Dedicated Life - The Church

The Greek Word For church is Eklessia or called out one.

Matthew 18:15-20

• Jesus talks about the power of forgiveness in the church.
• There is a process in maintaining strong relationships in the church.

Jesus Says

1. If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault just between the two of you.
2. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.
3. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two of three witnesses.

Matthew 18:17

If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church, and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan.

Romans 12 We are called to dedicate our life to God’s purpose:

1. If the church is going to be the salt of the earth & the light of the world.
2. This is our act of worship.
3. We are not to conform to the pattern of this world.
4. We are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

The Church must be different than the world

Jesus said, we are in the world but not of it.

Mark 16:12

• Jesus commissioned His church for the purpose of winning the world.
• The Gospel is the power of God.

Romans 1:16

The Power of Faith

• Whoever believes will be saved.
• Whoever does not believe will be condemned.

These Signs Will follow those who believe:

1. They will drive out demons.
2. They will speak with new tongues.
3. They will pick up serpents.
4. When they drink poison, it will not hurt them.
5. They will lay their hands on the sick and they will get well.

Jesus gave the church the power of attorney

What ever we ask in His Name will be done.

The church has been called out of the world to represent Jesus in all areas of life.

What does it take to dedicate our selves to the Lord for the purpose He has for us?

1. Self sacrifice.
2. Self discipline.
3. Living life as an act of worship.
4. Not being conformed to this world.
5. But being transformed (metamorphoo) by the renewal of our minds.

Our Thinking Must be in line with the Word of God if we are going to be transformed.

• Transformed people change the world.

Points To Ponder

• We can change the world.
• Through one mind at a time being renewed.
• This is the power of the Gospel Jesus gave the church.

A Dedicated Life - The Church

A Dedicated Life - The Church this message was given on 1-25-09

A Dedicated Life - Overcoming (notes)

A Dedicated Life - Overcoming

The Gospel

• Of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation.
• Romans 1:16 “I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation…”

The Power of God

• Is all powerful and has all the power to do what He has already said in His Word.
• Will always do what is in line with His nature and His word.
• Is released through His church / His people.
• Is unleashed by faith working through love.

God Does Not Have To Impress Anyone

He can demonstrate His power any time He wants to anyone He chooses.

But when God moves because of His mercy it is because He hears the cries of His children.

(Example of Israel in slavery)

Truths To Look At Today, What The Gospel Does:

• It makes people new. 2 Cor. 5:17
• It gives people a new start. Jn. 3:5-8
• It fills our life with something that really satisfies our life. Jn. 4:13-14
• It changes a city. Jn. 4:39-42

If I Am Not Dedicated What Can I Do?

1. Stay in fellowship with believers.
2. Daily devotions.
3. Share my faith.
4. Daily meditation & worship.
5. Fast regularly.

What Does It Take live an overcoming life?

• Live a life of dedication to Jesus Christ.

Seven Promises To Overcomers:

1. Ephesians
2. Smyrna
3. Pergamum
4. Thyatira
5. Sardis
6. Philadelphia
7. Laodicea

A Dedicated Life - Overcoming

A Dedicated Life - Overcoming this message was given on 1-18-09

A Dedicated Life - Personal Discipline (notes)

A Dedicated Life - Personal Discipline

This Is

• A new year, a new season and God will give us new opportunities to serve Him, to help the hurting around us and to proclaim the Love of Jesus Christ to our city.

What Will It Take?

• Dedicated believers who will understand the power of the anointing of the Holy Spirit to reach out to the hurting of our community.

Not Everyone Whom

• God dedicated to serve Him were dedicated to God through a life of personal discipline.

Romans 11:29

God doesn’t take back the gifts He has given or forget about the people he has chosen.

(contemporary English Version Bible)

Truths To Look At Today

When God calls and gives someone a gift it does not mean that person will move into the fullness of God for their life.

Matthew 25:14-30

• This parable talks about this concept.
• It isn’t the amount of talent we have but what we do with what we have.

What Does It Take To Live A Dedicated Life?

Personal communion with God through:

1. A regular diet of the Word of God
2. Obedience to that Word
3. Prayer
4. Walking in the Spirit every day

A Great Lesson

Why people failed to accomplish their destiny:

1. They took their gifts for granted

2. They did not walk in the anointing

3. They thought they could indulge the flesh and still walk in the anointing

4. They were deceived by their success and by the adversary.

Jesus calls us a kingdom of priests. A priest presents people to God and God to people. A priest has to cleanse himself before he can do this.

Importance of Cleansing, who & what needed cleansing?

1. Levites
2. The House of the Lord
3. The furniture in God’s House
4. The nation of Israel
5. The chambers in God’s House
6. Sin
7. Their hearts
8. Young men and their way

What Cleanses Us:

The Blood of Jesus - I John 1:7

Confession - I John 1:9

The Word of God - Eph. 5:26

We Must live a life worthy of the calling we have received by being completely humble and gentle; patient and bearing with one another in love. Eph. 4:1-2

Can We Live

• A dedicated Life?
• With God all things are possible if we just put some effort into living a disciplined life.

Start

• By making a new commitment to The Word of God this year.
• Read through the Word this year.
• Start today in the Book of Genesis.

Conclusion

• We can live a Dedicated Life by asking God for help in being more disciplined to His Word, to thinking about Him and to obeying Him.

A Dedicated Life - Personal Discipline

A Dedicated Life - Personal Discipline this message was given on 1-11-09

A Dedicated Life - A New Day (notes)

A Dedicated Life - A New Day

There Are Many

Lost hurting people in our city that need to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ!

Luke 4:18

Has been called the mission statement of Jesus and of the church.

What Jesus Came To Do:

1. Proclaim the Good News to the poor.
2. Proclaim freedom for the prisoners.
3. Proclaim recovery of sight for the blind.
4. To release the oppressed.

The Gospel

• Is hope for the hopeless.
• Is help to the hurting.
• Is healing for the sick.
• Is release for the bound.

Luke 4:18

The Reason

Jesus was used to help people was because He was completely dedicated to God and to the Good News.

The Reason

• God used the disciples to shake the world for Jesus was because they were completely dedicated to God and to the Good News that Jesus gave them.

Acts 4:31

When Jesus

Commissioned the disciples to go into the world and proclaim the Good News after the Day of Pentecost they were completely committed to that task.

Mark 16:15

“The disciples were completely dedicated to the mission of Jesus.”

Jesus Says:

1. Preach the Good News to all creation.
2. Whoever believes the message will be saved.
3. Whoever does not believe the message will be condemned.
4. These signs will follow those who believe.

The Signs

• Demons being cast out of people.
• The baptism in the Holy Spirit.
• Supernatural protection for God’s people as they proclaim the Gospel.
• Supernatural ability to heal the sick by the people of God.

As We Start The New Year

• Let’s completely dedicate ourselves to the mission Jesus has given us.

Application

• This is a new day to serve God.
• This is a new season to reach out to the hurting of our community.
• Let’s ask God what ministry He desires us to move into.
• Let’s be obedient to the call of the Holy Spirit.

A Dedicated Life - A New Day

A Dedicated Life - A New Day this message was given on 1-4-09