July 6, 2003

Service Theme – "Our God is Powerful"

Galatians 5:16-26; Matthew 7:24-27

Where Do We Go from Here?

1. Introduction

1. Illustration – Soren Kierkegaard said, "Most people really believe that the Christian commandments (for example, to love one's neighbor as oneself) are intentionally a little too severe—like putting the clock ahead half an hour to make sure of not being late in the morning" (as cited on PreachingToday.com). And Oswald Chambers wrote, Never try to explain God until you have obeyed Him. The only bit of God we understand is the bit we have obeyed (as cited on PreachingToday.com).
2. Context – Both of these men were saying basically the same thing – that we don’t take the life of obedience Christ is calling us to seriously enough. That we don’t take the spiritual disciplines that we need practice seriously enough to break the cycle of sin in our lives. I want more than just about anything else for us to break those cycles of sin in our lives so that we can live in the victory Jesus won for us when He died and rose again and sent His Spirit to live within us. A couple of Scripture passages can help us learn how to do this.

1. Scripture Passage

1. (NEW SLIDE) Matthew 7:24-27 (from the New Living) - "Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. [25] Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse, because it is built on rock. [26] But anyone who hears my teaching and ignores it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. [27] When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will fall with a mighty crash."
2. (NEW SLIDE) Galatians 5:24-25 (from the New Living) - Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. [25] If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit's leading in every part of our lives.
3. Jesus said that actions speak louder than words. Today we’re going to act on that truth.

1. Acting on What We Know to be True

1. We’ve been talking for the past nine weeks about the process of building the fruit of the Spirit into our hearts and lives using prayer, Scripture memory, and accountability. As Jesus said in Matthew 7:24-27, talk is cheap, and merely listening to the truth without putting it into practice is the same thing as allowing your whole life to come crashing down around you. I’ve gotta tell you that the past several weeks have not by any means been easy for Kim or me, but I can tell you that the only thing besides Kim’s support and courage that have gotten me through has been the daily spiritual disciplines I have committed myself to. Those disciplines have enabled God to give me the strength to make it through. I can’t repeat it enough that the only way we’re going to make it through the days ahead as a church is if we as individuals commit ourselves to daily spiritual disciplines as means of building our relationship with Christ. That’s it. Nothing else. Thousands of Christians over the centuries have found this to be true, and it’s still true today.
2. So, today, we’re going to do some things that may make you feel a little uncomfortable. If they do, I apologize, but it is imperative that I follow God’s leading in doing this. So please participate in what we’re doing. God will bless you for it.
3. First, I’d like everyone to get into a group of no more than four people. Go ahead and move around if you need to, but do it quickly. (NEW SLIDE) No more than four people to a group. Now I want you to spend five minutes praying for the people in your group, and here’s how. Someone start, and pray first for the person on your right and then the person on your left. Pray that they will allow Jesus to give them the victory in any area of their life where the cycle of sin is defeating them. Pray that they will be empowered to build the spiritual disciplines in their lives so that they will be able to live in victory over sin by the power of the Holy Spirit. These two things to pray for are up on the screen in case you need to be reminded. Everyone in the group needs to pray this way, first for the person on their right, then for the person on their left. Your group has five minutes to pray for everyone. Go!
4. Time’s up. Now find one person and sit by them. Only two people per group. Go ahead and get with them. (NEW SLIDE) Now spend the next five minutes repeating to each other out loud phrase by phrase Galatians 5:24. It’s up on the screen. It’s also relatively easy to remember. So repeat it to each other phrase by phrase for the next five minutes. Go!
5. Time’s up. Sound booth person, please push the "No Show" button on the gray Sanyo remote. Now let’s say that verse together out loud and see how much we can remember. Good. Time for our last little exercise.
6. Find someone in this room whom you trust completely. A group of three is fine, but you have to be able to trust each person completely. Your spouse is fine if you’re married. Otherwise, same sex please unless you’re related. Now, (NEW SLIDE) for the next five minutes, I want each of you to share with the other person one area, big or small, where you are struggling to defeat the cycle of sin. This is very important – when you are listening to the other person, please ask only questions that relate to their struggle, not specifics of the sin itself. Then, after one person has shared, encourage them and share your acceptance of them as a person and pray for them, that the cycle of sin will be defeated. It does not have to be your deepest and darkest sin unless you feel comfortable briefly sharing that. You have five minutes total for everyone to be heard and prayed for. I know this is tough, but this is the only way we as individuals and as a congregation will win over sin. So begin sharing now.
7. Time’s up. Go ahead and stay with the person you shared with. I’d like (NEW SLIDE) one person from each little group to come up, take the bread and juice of communion, and serve it to the person you’ve just shared with them. Pray a prayer of commitment with them seeking God’s help in defeating Satan and in being the pure and holy person God has created them to be. Then trade off. The person who was just served becomes the server. And the person who was just prayed for becomes the prayer. Make sure everyone has a chance to serve and be served. Go!

1. Conclusion

1. Has everyone had a chance to serve communion and to be served communion? Go ahead and quickly return to the seats you started out in this morning if you’d like. When everyone is seated I’d like to just take a moment and have a couple of people who feel comfortable sharing stand up and tell us what God has taught you through what we’ve been doing this morning. Go ahead and stand up and (NEW SLIDE) share what God has taught you through what we’ve done this morning if you feel led to.
2. By participating in these activities this morning, you’ve just practiced what I’ve been preaching for the past nine week. Now, put these things into practice in your lives every day and every week, and you will be building your foundation on the solid rock of Jesus Christ. Let’s pray together.