Leadership Confidence

I was preparing to preach from Exodus 13 and 14 this morning - a well known passage detailing the Israelites crossing the Red Sea - when God grabbed my heart. .

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Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptian you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (14:13-14) THEN THE LORD REVEALED HIS PLAN OF DELIVERANCE TO MOSES.

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Could it be that God’s deliverance through the Red Sea, utilizing Moses, hinged on Moses’ faith and declaration of victory in God?

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We need to be people faith and conviction. We need to be leaders that proclaim victory and deliverance through the Lord’s power even when we do not have all - or any - of the details of God’s plan.

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Will we step forward in faith and proclaim victory in God and through God? 

#preparetheway

Setting Your Heart for Holiness

Holiness is possible! If it wasn't God would be a liar (Romans 6) and there would be no hope of heaven (Hebrews 12:14).

Set your heart on Christ-like peace

 John 14:27; Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. 

John 16:33; I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

o   This is a heart that has the peace and knowledge that Christ was victorious over death

o   This is a heart that has the assurance and faith  in Christ’s  promise to us that He will grant us victory as well

o   This is a heart that is confident that Christ is in control of the large and small matters of life.

Set your heart on Christ-like worship

Matthew 15:8-9; “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.”

o   This is a heart prepared to receive the God of all creation

o   This is a heart that craves more of Jesus

o   This is a heart that is deeply connected with His Spirit

Set your heart on Christ-like treasures

Matthew 6:19-21; Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

o   This is a heart that is concerned with matters of heaven

o   This is a heart that desires to build the Kingdom of God

o   This is a heart that longs to do the will of Jesus

Set your heart on Christ-like thoughts

Matthew 15:17-20; Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’  For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man ‘unclean’

o   This is a heart that has been cleansed from selfish desire

o   This is a heart that is aligned with the will of God

o   This is a heart that has pure motives and actions always.

Set your heart on Christ-like speech

Matthew 12:33-37; “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

o   This is a heart that seeks to honor God with respect

o   This is a heart that aims to encourage fellow believers

o   This is a heart that strives to inspire others with truth

Holy living is all of this – holiness is a heart that is Christ-like. And setting your heart for holiness is all about motive.  

So, what is the motive –  the intent – of your heart?

Remember Hebrews 12:14; “without holiness no one will see the Lord.”

Jesus said it a different way in Matthew 5:8; “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

What motives of your heart must you give up - and do away with - for holiness to be a possibility in your life? 

What motives of your heart must you embrace - and better take hold of - for holiness to be a reality in your life?

It's Not Too Heavy.

Yesterday's morning teaching focused on our victory over this world and taught from 1 John 5:3-5.

"This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."

As we touched on God's commands for His followers there was one illustration that seemed to be especially helpful to our church family.

My five year-old daughter is commonly asked to assist around the house with chores, some she likes, others she does not. As we were unloading the car last week she asked if she could carry in some of the groceries with us. We agreed and I handed her a gallon of milk and asked her to carry it inside. As I followed behind her she seemed to be laboring with this eight-pound gallon of milk and, before making it half way up the walk, she set it down turning to me and announcing that it was "too heavy". I understood and did not force her to carry it any further.

Just two days later my wife and I were sitting in the kitchen while our three kids were sitting in the living room playing and watching television. We heard our five-month old son begin to fuss and stopped soon after. The next sight we had was of our five-year old daughter carrying her five-month old, nineteen-pound brother into the kitchen. When I asked her if he was too heavy for her she responded; "he's not too heavy, he's my brother".

You see, that eight-pound gallon of milk was far to heavy for her to carry, yet her brother, who was over two times the weight of the milk was not. Why was that? Because it was her brother. Because she wanted to carry him. Because she loved him.

When we consider the commands of God, there are times when we begin to think, these are too challenging, too hard to keep, too burdensome for us. Yet, 1 John 5 tells us the opposite. So what is the difference? Love! When we have a deep love for God, we want to keep His commands! No longer do His commands seem to be too burdensome. Why? Because we love Him.