Following Close to Jesus

 

 

Pastor Allan began his message by stating “You need an appetite in order to eat.  We must be hungry and thirsty for the things of God.  I took notes and present his edited sermon here.

Psalms 51:9-12  Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.  Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.  Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.  Restore unto me the joy of they salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

Our desire must be to serve God with a passion we never had before.  This could be problematic in some households when they notice the change in you. 

 

A case in point: one of our adult members received Jesus at 10 years old, but his Step Dad did not like the change in the lad and commanded him not to attend church.  Years later he came back to Jesus but his past life tells a sad tale. 

 

Parents will be held accountable when they prevent their children from serving our Lord.

How to follow Jesus and walk in power like he did is simply to step into His presence and remain there.  Don’t be satisfied with the basics, but press into a life-style of repentance.

There are some things we must turn our backs on; in order to be Christ like.  We need a desire to be strong and grounded in the Word.  As we study and search the scriptures, we discover some of the previous concepts taught to us are wrong.  Be willing to change and line up with the Scriptures.  Be willing to allow God to change you into a follower of Jesus.

It is true that some of the Bible Saints failed God in some way.  When they received power from the Holy Spirit, they started to turn their world upside down.  They began to understand there was something greater that they didn’t know about in the past. 

When you share Jesus with others, you may need to speak at a child’s level, especially when you are teaching new believers.

Tradition has a lot of bondage, but the pure gospel is love which covers a lot.  Be salt and light to season and light the darkness around you.  We have something better to offer to make their present condition better. 

Some times our job is harder, because of the walls people build to keep out the truth.

As we look at the world, they often say, “Do it to them before they do it to you. And be sure to take the first punch.”

The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and it works.  Wow, what a concept.  It is easy to love someone who loves you back.

Let us not say, “What can I get?” but instead say, “What can I give?”  It is time to start bearing fruit.  Let us not just talk, but let us do the walk.  May our life line up with the simple truth of God’s Word.  Dig into the scriptures to find the Gold.  Do you want wisdom, “Ask for it?” 

During his ministry, Jesus had hundreds of followers, but only 12 disciples selected to spread the gospel of the Kingdom.

Our church has a lot of broken believers - - actually that is a sign of a healthy church. 

 

Our people have a lot of secret sins, and secret struggles, but God is ready to deliver.  Some will receive freedom immediately and others a step at a time.  When you open up the lid of the garbage can the smell is terrible.  Jesus is ready to clean up the sinner.

Some are weak, but we don’t want to put them on the shelf or cast them aside.  We pray for them and show them love.

Paul talked about the struggle of his flesh, but by the Power of the Holy Spirit, he was able to over come. 

I am reminded of the scripture, “If my people will humble themselves, repent and cry out in prayer, I will hear them and heal them.”

Examine yourself by the yard stick of the Word of God, and then go out to prosper, to sow the seed, water the tender plants, and to bear fruit,