Waiting in Action

We started off the talk the time with answering a question from something called "the question box." This ministry is just a way of allowing the teens to ask any question while remaining anonymous. Last night's question asked about Acts 2:38 and whether or not baptism is something that is required in order to be saved.
We worked through that we believe that God doesn't require a formula for being saved, but a real relationship with Him. But part of having a marriage with somebody is taking the opportunity to demonstrate publicly that you are in love and dedicated to that person. That's why we get dressed up and wear wedding rings... to demonstrate publicly our commitment.
So I encouraged the teens to know that though Baptism is required for salvation to happen (though it is a commandment), but is similar to a wedding ring. It isn't required, but it is a testament to the sincerity of the commitment.

I used a new sermon illustration this past Wednesday that I think will sum up the bulk of what we talked about.
I was trying to work with a new way to help youth understand what it meant to wait on God.
Like any normal person it's difficult to wrap your mind around the concept that waiting on God doesn't mean sitting around doing nothing but praying and hoping.

In an effort to point on what God is always doing we narrowed God's constant desire down to 3 things.

1. God is always proclaiming His glory

2. God is always looking out for His people's best interest.

3. God is always looking to connect with people through His son Jesus.

But what does this have to do with waiting on God? Well it's simple. When you and I claim we don't know what God wants us to do in a situation we really only to look at the three things He's always doing to gain some insight.

It's almost like God is sitting a big table in a restaurant. God makes it clear what He always wants. His Holy Spirit is working in the kitchen cooking up opportunities, but its up to us to pick up those opportunities and bring them to the father. See waiting on God doesn't mean sitting around it means it's time to be a waiter for Him.

And doesn't God deserve our best platter to bring it to Him? Think of the platter is the best of your ability, your best try, etc. You also never know what the trip from the kitchen to the God's table is going to be like though. The floor might be slippery and you'll have to change your path. You might have other customers demanding your attentions and efforts. And who knows, there might be want to sneak away some of that food for yourself. A guy's gotta eat right?

Something amazing though, is that when we do bring God's order to the table, He doesn't just keep it all for himself. Can you imagine seeing the best customer in the place offering some of his meal to the waiter? Heck no! But here's God offering it to us "Here, you can be satisfied to, here eat be nourished and energized, here be blessed by this meal too and don't worry about helping out with the check, my son's already paid the bill."

Honestly, I wouldn't have any problem waiting on a guy who always shares his meals with me.
And yet sometimes we bring God a happy meal instead of the full three course meal He ordered.
What do you think would happen to the waiter who never brings the full course to the best customer? He wouldn't get a good tip for one thing, but he would also never have the chance to be satisfied by that awesome food. The waiter would really be robbing himself too.

So here's the holy Spirit preparing the food, all we have to do is carry it to the table on our best platter, bring the best quality food to the Father as our spiritual act of worship, and realize that the bill has already been paid by the Son.

Big Picture God

(original outline by Louie Giglio)

Last Night we looked at the story of Joseph. Pastor Tom also showed a picture made up of some of the ugliest colors. Later he showed us how those ugly colors were just a piece of a beautiful painting and how God sometimes only shows us one piece of the painting where He can see the whole work of art that He is working on. Here are some of the key themes would pulled from the story.

(the small piece)


(the whole picture)

Hope and faith foster faithfulness

"We walk by faith and not by sight and we consider our present affliction light in comparison to the eternal glory that God is working." - Paul

1. I believe somehow you’re going to use this to bring glory to your name.

2. I believe you’re committed to me and my well being, it’s a dungeon it’s a pit, but I believe your with me.

3. God I believe you’re redeeming. Is there anybody in this picture that wants to know Jesus? Is there anybody in this picture who couldn’t know the Gospel unless I was in there with them?

What my employer meant for evil, God meant for good

What my ex meant to hurt me with, God meant for good

What my parents meant for evil, God intended for Good.
Because God works together everything for the good of those who love Him.

Small Picture World, Big Picture God.

Lost

Lost – Week 1

Original outline by Chris Spradlin

Gut Level Honesty Game: Check if applies to you…

I’m not satisfied with…

Cell phone coverage Financial situation

My body My parents

How I am living my life

In 1965 the lyrics to “I can’t get no satisfaction” were written by Mick Jagger.The song was all about how he was having an amazing outward success he was eroding on the inside.

It was the same with how King Solomon could not get any satisfaction.

The first page of his notes says (aka Ecclesiastes).

“Meaningless, meaningless says the Teacher. Utterly meaningless, everything is meaningless.” Ecclesiastes 1:2

We're like, "Hey man could you just be a little more honest with us here?"

This King was once full of purpose and had a plan, but he kind of took a road trip from God.

(we watched a video about how trying different things in life is like giving everything a huge taste test. The problem is that after a while you look down at all of these empty things that you tried to be satisfied with, but none of it worked. It can leave us feeling even more empty than when we started.)

- Maybe if I can get boyfriend/girlfriend

- drinking… maybe one more will make me happy

- maybe it’s the way you look.. if you’re better looking then maybe it will make me feel better

-

King Solomon went on a 40 year search for satisfaction, instead he ended up lost wandering through life.

40 years lost and gone

Some of you maybe feel the same way… man I’ve lost 2 years lost and gone.

So one day when he’s driving he pulls over and makes one last entry in journal.

Ok, I’ve got more money to search higher and deeper than anyone else could I've done more than you can imagine, but all I have is this final conclusion.

• His final conclusion “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”

Man some of you are like “fear God” man I grew up with that, forget that.

You think that God is some kind of Cosmic kill joy just waiting you for you to screw up.

Fearing God isn’t about being afraid of him, it’s about worshiping Him.

There are times that when I prayed something so powerful was going on that I've sensed His presence.

Some of you are like “man I have not connected like God like that in a long time”

Some of you are just so in despair and want that kind of connection

And you don’t know where to go.

Well here's a great action step.

1. Cultivate a heart of worship.

“Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.”

Psalms 95:6

How we can cultivate a heart of worship:

• Be still.
• Confess.
• Meditate on God’s Word.
• Practice the presence of God.

(I told a story here about my dad Jack who got lost because he wouldn't listen to the GPS in the car.)

I believe that all of us have a GPS built in us called "The Holy Spirit."

Unfortunately we often just turn it off because we think we know a better way or because the voice just starts feeling a little old to us.

And that’s the idea of following God’s commandments.

2. God deserves our radical obedience.

- God has built us an internal GPS called the Holy Spirit

There’s this voice saying “hey you’ve got to recalculate your route, your destination is peace, hope, and purpose so you’ve got to recalculate.” And instead of you just kind of hit the cancel button.

- sometimes you get caught up in the scenery

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27

I wish Jesus would said “my people are like rhinoceroses, they can pave their own way.”

How a shepherd broke in a new lamb

- through developing a personal relationship

- by watching over them

- but eventually putting them into the fold

- sometimes the sheep would run away and get lost never to return from the mountains it just went to

- and sometimes it would go so far that it wouldn’t be able to hear the shepherd’s voice.

Question for some of you

“Do you hear the shepherd’s voice?”

Can you recognize God’s voice in your life?

If you want purpose, it’s only found in following God.

When you finish your time here, the only thing that’s going to matter is if you know the voice of your God.

And you only know that through that relationship with Him, that accepts the direction of your built in GPS.

It’s through a relationship with Christ.

What the shepherd did to the sheep that got away, but He found again.

- He would break their legs so the lamb would have to learn how to depend on Him again.

- It keeps you close

- And makes you get lower.

Sometimes it all starts with the prayer "God, do whatever it takes to bring me closer to you."

(the night concluded with a time of prayer)