Going Outside for God (Part No 1)
Greet Every One
Have you noticed how seasons are changing?
Dumb statement but the seasons change every year, Spring,
Summer, Autumn, Winter, seasons change all the time don’t they.
Have you noticed that during some season’s people choose to hibernate?
Oh yes people stay indoors in some countries when it gets winter because they
really just can’t survive out side. We had quite a cold winter this year and as
Spring came I noticed people going outside. Why were they going out side it was
because the season had changed and now it was time to Go Outside to work in
their gardens?
It was the time to communicate with their neighbours in the
street. It was spring and every thing around smelled fresh. Then the first
rains fell and the fresh go even better. Have you notice how things just look
clean and smell clean after some rain has fallen. It is as if rain brings a new
freshness which only it can bring. Yes I always feel rain bring newness to
every thing after all only God can make it rain. Yes we can make lots of things
happen on this earth but only god can bring rain. Yes only God can bring change
in our lives, only God can make it rain.
Luke
5 v The
Man With Leprosy
12While Jesus was in one of the towns, a
man came along who was covered with leprosy.cWhen he saw Jesus, he
fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you
can make me clean.”
13Jesus reached out his hand and touched
the man. “I am
willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.
14Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone,
but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses
commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
15Yet the news about him spread all the
more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their
sicknesses. 16But Jesus often
withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
Jesus Heals a
Paralytic
17One day as he was teaching, Pharisees
and teachers of the law, who had come from every village
of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem
20When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins
are forgiven.”
21The Pharisees and the teachers of the
law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who
can forgive sins but God alone?”
22Jesus knew what they were thinking and
asked, “Why
are you thinking these things in your hearts? 23Which is easier: to
say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24But that you may know
that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” He said to the
paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 25Immediately he stood
up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. 26Everyone was amazed
and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen
remarkable things today.”
1. Step Forward to receive Christ
When you start a race you have to
step forward to the starting blocks or the starting line. Otherwise you will
never ever run the race they say.
So where are you stepping I might
ask, and have you even taken a step.
I remember standing in a church in
the phew with my wife next to me. Every one was praising and sing and
worshipping God. Tears were following and the message had been spoken. The
preacher had made an alter call and some people had move forward to the front
of the church. I was like fixed in what was happening. I was I gess you could
says I was caught up in the happening. Don’t know if you have ever felt that
way. In a church people praising and you caught up in the middle of it. So focussed
on the happening, not realizing what
your body or spirit is kind of doing, just praising and enjoying the moment.
Been there?
Yes that morning I was right in that
feeling the next thing I found my self also standing in the front of the
church. I only realized that I was there in the front when the preacher ask if
he could pray for us. Then I realized where I was but it didn’t matter. So I
said yes please pray.
Stepping Forward, it was the first
step. The first step to receiving Christ, yes Jesus as my Lord and Saviour of
my life.
If we want to Go Outside for GOD and
share the Good news with others we have to make this first step. I hope you
have done that. I pray that you have stepped forward to receive Jesus as you
Lord and Saviour. If you haven’t then maybe today is the day and after this we
will be giving you an opportunity to step forward for God.
2. Step up to meet and hear from God
Once you step forward then your next
foot just needs to follow. Have you noticed as you put your right foot forward
so your left foot will automatically step up so you can walk forward. Yes we
must take the second step after we have been saved, received Christ. We must
meet and hear from God.
Yes I feel it is necessary to hear
from God who do we share Christ with. We have been saved and now we are
commissioned to do God’s work in this world. This is to take Christ, to the
nations.
Don’t know about you but I often
have asked my self who do I share Christ with. Not that horrible neighbour, not
that foul mouth at work, not that bum in the road, not the taxi driver, not my
family. Well they don’t deserve Christ or do they.
Isnt that were Jesus would be
sharing Christ, yes Jesus would be sharing with the lost not the found. That’s
what Jesus did. But Jesus did something we tend to forget He consulated with
the Father, He heard from the Father of who to take Christ to. Yes Jesus new it
was important to meet and hear from God.
All the prophets in the Bible had to
hear from God they all had to step forward and then they just like Samuel had
to be told to ask God to speak to them.
See because we become Christians we
are excited we have meet with God and so we want John at work to also meet with
God. But we mess it up because we try to do it in our own strength. We try to
get them to commit to Christ with out his consultation. We don’t stop and meet
with God and hear his voice. His guidance. Once Samuel took the time to say
Lord hear I am then God spoke to him.
I call it smelling the rose’s , yes
as Spring comes and the rose’s blossom that’s when things smell new and lots of
us spend time outside.
I know that is when Dennis spends
lots of time outside because that is what he has told me. Dennis says in spring
he meets with God in the garden and he just takes time to smell the roses and
that is when God speaks to him. Yes if we stop and be still
Psalm 46 v10.
Stop and know that God is God He
will tell us who we should be sharing Christ with. God doesn’t just show us who
but he shows us how. All the prophets of the bible show this right through
their writings. A God who calls and a God who tells them who and a God who
shows them how…
3. Step Outside with the Holy Spirit by our side
We have now reached the point to
share I believe the word. So where do I take Christ to?
I say we need to share the word of
God right where we are. Oh yes right in the place where we work that is the
place to share God’s love. To share God’s love with our neighbours and those
around us after all that is where God put us.
So we step Forward for receiving God
Then we step up to meeting and
hearing God
No we need to step right out of our
comfort zone and share God right where we are.
That is share God with that person
we don’t like at work that not so good looking one.
(Tell a story of sharing Christ with
someone you know)
Yes we need to share Christ were we
are right were God has put us that where I believe we need to show God’s love
to the lepper like Jesus did to the Paralitic Man. Yes be Jesus to the Teller
at the shop and be Jesus to the man next door who’s wife is getting ten
injections a week for cancer. Yes Jack next door to me told me this just the
other day so we prayed for healing and it seemed to raise his spirits.
To step Out side is not easy when
you have been tied up inside for a long time. But we must know that as we step
to take Christ to those who He shows us to, we don’t go alone we go with His
Spirit right beside us. Yes Jesus said I will send you a helper to assist us as
we Step Outside.
So I challenge you today…
Step Forward receive Christ
Step Up and Meet and Hear from GOD.
Step Outside of you comfort zone
with the Holy Spirit.
Is there any one listening who needs
to step Forward prephas as we pray you would like to come and kneel at the
alter today. Lets pray…
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