James 2:23 (NIV) "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend.
Jesus doesn’t simply want obedient followers, He wants intimate friends.
Mark 3:13-14 (NIV) 13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve--designating them apostles--that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach.
Luke 10: 38-42 (TPT) As Jesus and the disciples continued on their journey, they came to a village where a woman welcomed Jesus into her home. Her name was Martha and she had a sister named Mary. Mary sat down attentively before the Master, absorbing every revelation he shared. 40 But Martha became exasperated by finishing the numerous household chores in preparation for her guests, so she interrupted Jesus and said, “Lord, don’t you think it’s unfair that my sister left me to do all the work by myself? You should tell her to get up and help me.” 41 The Lord answered her, “Martha, my beloved Martha. Why are you upset and troubled, pulled away by all these many distractions? Are they really that important? 42 Mary has discovered the one thing most important by choosing to sit at my feet. She is undistracted, and I won’t take this privilege from her.”
Switching to the better way
1. Urgency for Intimacy.
James 1:22 (NLT) But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.
John 15:14-15 (NIV) 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
We are functioning as friends.
-“He isn’t calling you to be busy he is calling you to be fruitful”
-“Business is the enemy of fruitfulness.”
-“Doing for Jesus will never substitute being with him.”
The result of intimacy takes us from being busy to being fruitful.
John 15:4-5 (NIV) 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing
2. Centrality over priority
Matthew 6:33 (NLT) Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
Luke 10:25-28 (NIV) 25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 26 "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" 27 He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" 28 "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live.”
“God isn’t looking to be first on your list he is looking to be the center of your life.”
“We don’t fall in love we grow in love.”
Growth happens by lingering at his feet.
3. Lingering over Laboring
Psalm 27:4 (NIV) One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.
“Lovers will always outwork, outlast, & outclass laborers."
John 15:5 (NIV) Apart from me you can do nothing
Lingering is the better way…
Ministering to Jesus is the greater ministry!
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1 John 4:19 (NIV) We love because he first loved us.
John 13:8-9 (NLT) 8 “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” 9 Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”
Luke 10: 38-42 (TPT) As Jesus and the disciples continued on their journey, they came to a village where a woman welcomed Jesus into her home. Her name was Martha and she had a sister named Mary. Mary sat down attentively before the Master, absorbing every revelation he shared.
Mark 4:9 (NIV)"He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
Mark 4:13-14 (NIV) …Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? The farmer sows the word.
Mark 4:20 (NIV) …Seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop--thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown."
The listening lifestyle
Switching From Hearing to Listening.
John 10:27 (NIV) My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
1 Samuel 3:1-11 (NIV) 1 The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions. 2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the LORD called Samuel. Samuel answered, "Here I am." 5 And he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." But Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down." So he went and lay down…10 The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening." 11 And the LORD said to Samuel…
1. QUIET DOWN
Mark 6:30-34 (NLT) 30 The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. 31 Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat. 32 So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone.
Psalm 46:10 (NIV) Be still, and know that I am God.
2. OPEN UP
Revelation 3:20 (NLT) “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.
Matthew 13:14-15 (NIV) ...ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people's heart has become calloused….
John 13:23-26 (NKJV) 23 Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24 Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke. 25 Then, leaning back on Jesus' breast, he said to Him, "Lord, who is it?" 26 Jesus answered, "It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it." And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.
“We listen best by leaning in close.”
4. Stay tuned in.
1 John 1:1-3 (NIV) 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
Matthew 2, Luke 4, 1 John 3
Jesus faced opposition…
1. In the beginning
Matthew 2
Matthew 2:16 (NLT) Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under.
2. Throughout his life.
Luke 4
Luke 4:29-30(NLT) 29…They mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff, 30 but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way.
3. Near the end
Luke 22:42-44 (NLT) 42 “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” 43 Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. 44 He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.
We will face opposition. We cant get out of it.
Jesus came to destroy the devils work!
1 John 3:5-10 (NLT) 5 You know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. 6 Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is. 7 Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. 8 But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. 10 So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.
The works of the devil…
The only power the devil over us has is the power we give him.
Ephesians 4:27 (NIV) Do not give the devil a foothold.(place)
1. Sin
“Our choices reveals what kingdom is superior in our life.”
2. Distractions
2 Corinthians 11:2-4 (NLT) 2 For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. I promised you as a pure bride to one husband—Christ. 3 But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent. 4 You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.
Distraction can lead to deception.
3. Deception & Manipulation
2 Corinthians 11:14 (NLT) Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
4.Fear/Anxiety/Worry
Fear is a way the enemy tries to undermine our trust in God.
5. Destruction: Physical, Emotional, Spiritual, Mental, Relational
6. Shame
Shame is believing a lie that God is good but his goodness is not as powerful as our sin.
Shame is believing the lie that we are not forgiven or that we are not enough.
Living in Triumph
Romans 5:17 (NLT) For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.
Jesus partners with us to advance the destruction…
Romans 16:20 (NIV) The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
1. Stand up under temptation
Temptation proves the quality of our character.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV) 13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
Jesus tempted in the desert(Luke 4)
Satan will attack us when we hungry, tired, alone, physically weak.
Matthew 26:41 (NIV) "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
-Stand in your identity: Know who you are.
Your power is rooted in position.
-Stand on the word: Know what God says.
“There is a quiet confidence when we rest in the authority of what God says.”
John 16:33 (NIV) "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
2. Submit and Resist
James 4:7 (NIV) Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Submitting our behaviors, thoughts, composure, attitude to Jesus. Then resisting anything contrary to Jesus.
3. Embrace mercy moments
When it comes:
Angels ministered to him. Matthew 4:11 Luke 22:43
When we go to it.
Hebrews 4:14-16 (NLT) 14 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need i most.
4. Walk it out.
How do we walk in freedom? One victory at a time.
Because of one victory for all time.
Hebrews 2:14(NLT) Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death.
Ministry:
John 10:10 (NKJV) The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
If the devils mission is to steal, kill, and destroy then life is found when Jesus Restores, Resurrects, and Rebuilds.
John the Baptist:
Matthew 3:1-2 (NIV) 1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea 2and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
Jesus:
Matthew 4:17 (NIV) From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
The Disciples:
Acts 3:19 (NIV) Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.
REPENT FOR THE KINGDOM IS NEAR.
🚦2019 Year of the Green Light.
Genesis 12:1-4 (NLT) 1 The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” 4 So Abram departed as the LORD had instructed
1. The promise of dominion(new territory)
2. The promise of reproduction
3. The promise of blessing & increase
Galatians 3:26-29 (NLT) 26 For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on the character of Christ, like putting on new clothes. 28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.
Dominion, reproduction, blessing.
The light is green!
2 Corinthians 1:19-20 (NLT) 19 Jesus Christ, the Son of God, does not waver between “Yes” and “No.” He is the one whom Silas, Timothy, and I preached to you, and as God’s ultimate “Yes,” he always does what he says. 20 For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.
Switching Gears
“Going and growing ain’t always easy.”
1. From Hype to Hope
Hebrews 10:23 (NIV) Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
Isaiah 49:23 (NIV) Those who hope in me will not be disappointed.
2. From Waiting ON to Trusting IN
Isaiah 40:31(NIV) But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
“Waiting on drains, waiting upon fills.”
Timing can be tricky…
1. Often timing has more to do with us than it does God.
“Don’t call your delay God’s timing.”
“Don’t call your distractions God’s timing.”
2. Often times the fulfillment of promises due to our failure to participate.
3. Trusting Gods timing means He is working and so am I.
God’s job is to fulfill our job is to be faithful.
Hebrews 11:11 (NIV) By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren--was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise.
3. From Idle to Accelerate
When God speaks we move.
“Delayed obedience is disobedience.”
“You cant experience the Gospel without Go.”
ITS GO TIME!!!!!
1. Because of Christ