gtoctr/ss010613
There
is a fleeting opportunity which lies before us today that if we neglect, we
will never be given the chance again. This chance, the opportunity to which I
refer is simple, yet powerful, and within the grasps of each one. It is simply
the chance to get this day right and take the next step on a journey with God
that will speak well of you throughout eternity.
Let’s
begin reading this morning from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Church in
Philippi. As we turn to Philippians 3, I want to encourage each of us to mark
this day, the first Sunday of the year 2013, as the Lord’s Day and the
beginning of a great new adventure together. Today is a day which holds
potential to change everything around you a lot by changing you just a little.
So open your heart to God’s Word right now as we read:
Philippians 3
12 I have not already
attained, nor am I already perfected; but I am pressing on, so that I may lay
hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
13 Brethren, I do not count
myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things
which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
14 I press toward the goal
for the prize of the upward and onward call of God in Christ Jesus.
God
has bigger plans than we might first imagine. This passage describes the
importance of decisively taking the next step. What is your next step?
As
a Church body, we are wholly committed and fully prepared to worldwide prayer,
evangelism and discipleship. Even though God has prepared and positioned us to
reach and teach the whole world, we must not lose sight of a simple truth which
the late Pastor John Osteen, although not original to him, was nonetheless
noted for saying:
“The light
which shines the farthest, shines the brightest at home.” (Oswald Chambers, 1874
- 1917)
I
had to do some amount of research to find who was originally credited with this
particular quote. So many have repeated this for so long that it has become very
familiar and widely quoted. During my research I found several other noteworthy
quotes. I’ll share a few:
“Christ alone can save the world, but
Christ cannot save the world alone.” (David Livingstone) “God had an only Son and He
made Him a missionary.”
“Why should anyone hear the Gospel twice, before everyone has heard it
once?” (Oswald J. Smith) “You must go or send a
substitute.”
“The mark of a great church is not its seating capacity, but its
sending capacity.” (C. T. Studd)
“Sympathy is no substitute for action. Only this generation can
reach this generation.” (David Livingstone)
“There is no second chance to
harvest a ripe crop.” (Kurt von Schleicher)
“The gospel is only good news if it gets
there in time. (Carl F. H. Henry)
“You can give without loving. But you
cannot love without giving.” (Amy Carmichael)
"Not how much of my money will I give to God, but, how much of
God's money will I keep for myself.” (John Wesley)
“You cannot take it with you but you can send it on ahead.” (Oswald
J. Smith)
“If the Great Commission is true, our
plans are not too big; they are too small.” (Pat Morley)
God is the God of big plans … He always has
and always will be that way.
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
God
then called Adam and Eve to be fruitful, multiply and replenish the earth and
to subdue all creation under their dominion.
He
then chose Noah to preach His righteous in the earth for 120 years while he
prepared the ark which would ultimately save his family and God’s creation from
the flood and destruction which came upon the whole earth.
God
spoke to others including Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Ruth, David, Esther,
Daniel and the three Hebrew Children, inviting each one of them to an adventure
beyond their wildest imagination and far above their reach. After describing
the faith of so many who said “yes” to God, the writer of the book of Hebrews
records:
Hebrews 11
32 And what more shall I say?
For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah,
also of David and Samuel and the prophets:
33 who through faith subdued
kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34 quenched the violence of
fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became
valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
35 Women received their dead
raised to life again. And others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that
they might obtain a better resurrection.
And
as if that were not enough, God invited a young girl named Mary to embrace the
high calling of giving birth to the Messiah, Jesus the Christ, the only
begotten Son of Almighty God. Although she did not know how, she simply said
“yes” and turned her life completely over to God.
As
I said earlier, God is the God of big plans … He always has and always will be
that way.
God
has big plans for your life and God is:
·
Unafraid of your problems
·
Unlimited by past
·
Unashamed to call you His own
You
need Him and guess what – He needs you too.
Today
holds a potential that if neglected, you may never get this chance again … the
potential is to partner with God in this life and take the next step.
This
partnership between you and God can only be achieved by doing things His way …
Jesus is the way!
There
is a next step God wants you to take this morning.
·
Turn your
life completely over to Him
o Your faith, you
trust and your attention
o Your past, your
present and your future
o Your job, your
marriage and your children
o Your worries, your
doubts and your fears
o Your habits, your
addictions and your sin
·
Turn
your life completely over to Him
o It begins by simply recognizing that you need a Savior
§
Recognize
o Next you must decide to turn to Him
§
Repent
o Finally this new day
requires that you receive His
§
Receive
·
His Love for you
·
His Light for you
·
His Life for you
No
matter where you are in life, with your job, your family or your eternity … turning
your life completely over to Jesus is the next step. Without taking the next step,
you will never move from where you are. Allow me to encourage you to take the
next step.
The
Next Step: Turn your life completely over to Jesus.
