THE TIME IS NOW (2)
HAPPY NEW YEAR FRIENDS
January 7, 2015GET OUT OF THE BOAT
February 3, 2015 Words of Wisdom for the year 2015
GCC Message
Ephesians. 5:15-18 “Be careful then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is… be filled with the Spirit.”
I. FIRST STEPS
1. SELF EVALUATION
What do we think of ourselves?
What do others think about us?
What does God think about us?
Whose standard do we live by?
“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you do not fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:12).
a. Spiritual Life
b. Family
c. Work or School
d. Service
2. KNOW THE TIMES
1 Chronicles 12:32 “men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do—200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command;
This is a Spirit of discernment. This is wisdom, the right application of knowledge.
This is making sense of what you see and taking the right decision.
What do you see?
How old are you? What is this year? What is going on in your company? As a church what do we see? What kind of people are in our part of the city?
II. HINDRANCES to TAKING THAT STEP
1. DENIAL
Reality is reality do not deny it.
James 1:23 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like
2. FEAR
Remember God has never given us a spirit of fear. Fear brings bondage.
2 Tim 1:7 “ For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. “
III. NEXT STEPS
1. BE IN TUNE WITH GOD THROUGH PRAYER
Prayer links you the human with God the Divine. With you the weak with God the strong, with you who does not know with the all knowing God. People who have seen great things in life and ministry have been those who have spent time in the presence of God.
They have realized that God is right when he says:
Phil 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
1 John 5:14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
Jeremiah 29: 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. And Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’
The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
“We must begin to believe that God, in the mystery of prayer, has entrusted us with a force that can move the Heavenly world, and can bring its power down to earth.” Andrew Murray
2. COUNT THE COST
What will it take to get to where I want God. I may need to cut off a few non-helpful friends in order to get closer to God. I may need to wake up early, I may need to begin a small money generating project, I may need to begin saving if I am getting married in the year 2016
3. STEP FORWARD
You will never go anywhere in life if you do not step forward to act on what you have heard God speak to you.
“Not that I have already obtained all of this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that or which Christ took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead. I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14
