Re-energizing the Church in the 21st Century throughRelationships in Christ

Our Relationships with The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

Submission to God in everything…He is every where…

omniscience and omnipresence.

• Jas 4:7-8 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (8) Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

STOP SIN

• Heb 12:1 . . . lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us . . .

Two Areas of Concern

• Short Term

• Long Term

First Commandment

• Exo 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Great Commandment

• Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

Great Lust of Our Time

•ME

Step One

• We must gain contentment.

• 1Ti 6:6-8 But godliness with contentment is great gain. (7) For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. (8) And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

• 2Co 9:6-7 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. (7) Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

Step Two

• We must make preparations.

• Mat 25:26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strewed:

Preparations

• 2Ti 3:16-17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (17) That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

Lifetime Preparation

• Retirement• Home down payment• Fired• Crisis• Marriage• Children

• Give to the Church• Give a lesson• Teach the young

Share the Gospel• Counsel a sinner• Become a Deacon or

Elder

Make Preparations

• 2Ti 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

Step Three

• We must have a servant’s heart.

• Php 2:5-8 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (6) Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: (7) But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (8) And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

• Joh 13:14-15 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. (15) For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

Step Four

• Focus on Making a Contribution

200 years from todayJuly 6, 2210

Word Count

• New Testament• Old Testament• Entire Bible• War and Peace• All of J.K. Rowling’s

Harry Potter books

• Matthew Henry’s Commentary

• 181,253• 593,493• 774,746• 587,287• 1,084,170

• 4,168,321• (5x Bible length!)

Contribution?

• In minutes, Nathan made a huge contribution to the life of King David.

• In about an hour, Philip helped bring tremendous change to the Eunuch.

• Paul started and strengthened many congregations and wrote almost ½ the NT.

• Josiah made a tremendous contribution on the spiritual direction of Israel after the law of God was found over his lifetime.

Two Questions

• Is there short-term happiness in this activity? (Watch out for sin here.)

• Is there long term meaning in this activity?