Difficult People Series Part 1 - Critical People

HANDLING DIFFICULT PEOPLE – 1

CRITICAL PEOPLE

PRAISE AND CRITICISM – WINDOWS TO THE HEART

It is better to be criticized by a wise person than to be praised by a fool! Ecclesiastes 7:5 NLT

• Praise – often reveals what you value most.
• Criticism – often reveals your deepest insecurities.

How can you think of saying, 'Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,' when you can't see past the log in your own eye? Matthew 7:4 NLT

WRONG RESPONSES

1) FIGHT

2) FLIGHT

RIGHT RESPONSES

1) LISTEN.

• When their motive is to help not hurt.
• When the person can help.

If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise. If you reject criticism, you only harm yourself…Proverbs 15:31-32 NLT

2) ANSWER.

• When the person is missing information that would change his perception.
• When the person is open to change.

The Ephraimites asked Gideon, ‘Why have you treated us like this?...’ And they criticized him sharply. But he answered them… Judges 8:1-2a

3) DISMISS.

• When the person is characterized by being overly critical.
• When this person emotionally unhealthy or wounded.

Jesus replied, ‘Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be rooted up, so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind…they will both fall into a ditch.’ Matthew 15:13-14 NLT

WE CAN’T PLEASE ALL PEOPLE,

BUT WE CAN PLEASE GOD!

For we speak as messengers who have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. 1 Thessalonians 2:4 NLT

Consumed Part 2 "True Worshipers

June 13th

TRUE WORSHIPERS

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. John 4:23

TRUE WORSHIPERS

1) WORSHIP WITH AWE.

In his right hand he held seven stars…His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead…Revelation 1:16-17a

Shachah (170 times) (shaw-khaw') (to royalty or God) bow down, fall down (flat), do reverence, worship.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:28-29

2) WORSHIP WITH ABANDONMENT.

David said to Michal…’I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes…’ 2 Samuel 6:21-22

Hallal (hal-lal’)–praise, be clamorously foolish or mad before the Lord. – hallelujah.

Worship in the Psalms

Shout to God. Sing a new song.

Dance before Him. Clap your hands.

Bow down. Lift up your heads.

Tell of His might. Stand in awe.

Meditate on His truth. Walk in his ways.

Still your heart. Cast down your idols.

Run to Him. Make a loud noise.

Lift your hands. Tell the nations.

Clash the cymbals. Seek His face.

3) WORSHIP WITH INTIMACY.

I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. Psalm 63:2-5

Sharath (shaw-rath'); to attend as a minister or worshiper.

• When is the last time you have been overwhelmed in the presence of God?

• In view of who God is and what He has done, what is your response of worship?

• God is seeking true worshipers. Is worship a way of life for you?

• Do you know the One True God in an intimate and personal way?

Consumed "A War For Your Worship"

June 6, 2007



Last night we started a brand new series called "Consumed." We had the Junior High join us for this one.

It's all about how worship isn't just singing. It's a lifestyle.

Really worship is the only reasonable response to who God is and what He has done for us.

Here's the video that kicked off the night.

Consumed

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Last night we answered the question "What is the one thing that God desires from us that we can freely give, or withhold?"

Our Worship.

There has been a war for our worship before the world was ever created.
When Satan said this;

‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly…I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ Isaiah 14:13-14

Lucifer wants himself to be worshiped, Jesus wants the Father to be worshiped

Here is some of the points we made

1) You are a worshipper
It's where ever you spend your thoughts, your time, your money, or basically whatever you value most in life.

But God has something to say about that….

‘You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself idols…You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God.’ Exodus 20:3-5

2) You will become like what you worship

But their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men…Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them. Psalm 115:4, 8

Then we talked about the "3 most important players" in a corporate worship setting.

- The Audience

- The Performer

- The Director

These three things are so commonly given all the attention. But it's way off isn't it?

- there’s only one audience, an audience of ONE

I’m gonna argue that most of us haven’t started there

Example:

- If I have a meeting with a really important person, I show up on time

o In fact I’m probably early

- If I’m going to a movie that I want to see, I’m probably there early if I can be

- If I am going to that meeting, I’m probably going to bring my “A game” to the meeting.

“Some people don’t like the kind of worship here”

“I don’t like the worship”… well that’s a dangerous statement, since you’re not the audience.

So how do we learn how to worship?

So we answer this question…

WHO IS GOD AND WHAT HAS HE DONE?

For me.

“He’s the creator and sustainer of the universe, he knew my weaknesses, I was born at this moment because he knew my gifts would be best used at this time…. And what did I do? I turned my back on him, I became a pathological liar, I lied so much that I couldn’t remember the difference between that and the truth, I cheated my way through high-school and J.R. High. But God, He continued to love me. When my life was nothing but rejection of Him, He reached out to me. ”

- my God

- redeemer

- my rock

- fortress

- sent His son for me

- He died for me

- He took someone who didn’t know how to tell the truth, and now allows me to proclaim this truth.

MY ONLY REASONABLE RESPONSE IS WORSHIP

- to Give him my life as an act of worship

- not 20 minutes of song, but my life

…since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:28-29

How do I respond?

It should be the most natural thing that you’ve ever done, as you respond to His supernatural goodness.

How do we worship?

- it’s the natural response to a super-natural God

Sometimes I lift my hands

Sometimes I get on my knees

Sometimes I laugh

Sometimes I preach even when I’m sick

IT’s an act of worship

See you’re not the audience, He is, we’ve come to worship Him.

Because…

• IN VIEW OF WHO GOD IS AND WHAT HE HAS DONE, I BRING AN OFFERING. AND I AM THE OFFERING.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Romans 12:1

We can't wait to continue this series next week as talk about "True Worshippers."