Cnr Kelly & Sylvan Roads, Boskruin, 2188 PO Box 635, Bromhof, 2154 Tel : 011 792 4497 Fax: 011 792 8624 www.thebarn.co.za We aim to reconcile people unto God through Christ SERMON TITLE: Faith - part 2 PREACHER: Nick Maritz DATE: 07.01.2018 Faith - Responding to God. Introduction: A few weeks ago I preached that faith was simply responding to God. This morning I want to continue to look at faith and encourage us to continue responding to God in faith. Read Matthew 19:16-22. PP 16 Someone came to Jesus with this question: Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life? 17 Why ask me about what is good? Jesus replied. There is only One who is good. But to answer your question if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments. 18 Which ones? the man asked. And Jesus replied: You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. 19 Honour your father and mother. Love your neighbour as yourself. 20 I ve obeyed all these commandments, the young man replied. What else must I do? 21 Jesus told him, If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. 22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Matthew 19:16-22 (NLT) I think this was a genuine question from an enquiring heart. The man wanted to know from Jesus what he must do to enter the kingdom of heaven. He possibly felt like we sometimes feel that there must be more to this relationship with God than following a bunch of rules and laws. Have you ever felt like that? Maybe you entering 2018 feeling that there must be more to this Christianity thing than what I m experiencing. It s it just about going to church, tithing, trying to not sin am I missing something.
Jesus answers him and says he must keep the commandments. He answers by stating that he has obeyed all the commandments. What else must I do he asks there must be more than just following the rules and laws am I missing something. Jesus responds to him and says there is more you are missing something. I have something more for you. Why don t you sell all your possessions and give it to the poor and follow me? This is not a small ask Jesus asks him to give up his identity, his ego, his status, his position in society and his security. Don t we love these things? The things that make us feel important, where we live, what we drive, where we shop, who we socialise with etc. It s so important to us. But Jesus is asking a more fundamental question. He is asking the rich young ruler to make Jesus his priorities, what he lives for, his idol. He is asking the rich young ruler to model his life around Jesus and not the riches that are so important to him. The rich ruler leaves saddened because he was not willing to let go of his possessions to make Jesus his priority. He had a lot to lose and did not have the faith to gain the more that Jesus was offering. I believe that this story is so relevant in churches today and churches are filled with rich young ruler, who go through the rituals of church, tithing and trying not to sin but feel that there is something more to their relationship with Jesus. They have even enquired and heard God say stop compartmentalising your relationship with me expand and follow me 100%, make me your priority and model your life around me. PP What is stopping you from making Jesus your priority in 2018? For the rich young ruler it was his money what is it for you? What are you afraid of, what are you afraid of losing, what is so important to you is it your money, social circles, give up things that you really enjoy. If you can name something then you, me and the rich young ruler are in the same boat. We have to respond to the offer Jesus is making us the rich ruler made his choice what s mine.what s yours? If Jesus isn t your priority, you will know, what is it that is keeping you from putting all your faith in him and following 100% this year. I believe this is God s heart for us in 2018. There is more for you, you can know God more intimately. To make Christ our priority means that we going to lose some things that are so important to us right now to gain what Christ has for you. What is God asking from us by encouraging us to make Jesus your priority? It simply means that you prioritise what s important to Him before your own stuff. Example - wife
What is Jesus priorities, just to mention a few, building and expanding the kingdom of God through people getting saved and following Him, showing and sharing His love to people, building the church which he heads up, helping us understand and live holy live etc. So if you want to prioritise Jesus in 2018 these things will become important to you. Example making something my priority illustrations with the balls. Another way of saying it is stop putting so much focus on your stuff and start getting serious about God s stuff. This is the year that you can start that ministry God has been speaking to you about, you can get involved and serve like God has been speaking to you about, help the poor like God has been speaking to you about, resolve that conflict in your family like God has been speaking to you about, kick that habit like God has been speaking to you about. Make God s stuff a priority in your life means you need to decide to let go of your stuff and follow him. The power of doubt The biggest challenge you and I have is doubt. Roelof mentioned it last week The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden? Genesis 3:1 (NLT). It works like this: when you decide that you going to make Jesus your priority and you going to get serious about his stuff and build his kingdom. The devil comes and sows doubt into your heart and it s not that you don t believe that God can do it you don t believe that God can do it through you the devil whispers. You too young or old, who do you think you are nobody will take you seriously, You insignificant nobody will notice you,
You have been so hurt in the past, you just going to get hurt again, You have serious limitations you going to make a fool of yourself, When people find out about your past they will judge you. As soon as the devil can get you to focus on you and not on God, his winning because then your eyes are on your weaknesses, inabilities and limitations, of course you going to feel like you can t. Because your faith is no longer in what the all-powerful, all-knowing and ever-present God for whom nothing is impossible, that has called you to do significant things for Him. Your focus is on what you can do and not on what God can do through you and you focus on the obstacles and not on the overcomer and you become fearful and not faith-filled. This morning God is calling you to do significant things for him as he builds his church and kingdom, are you looking at what you can do and does it fill you with fear or what he can do through your life and it fills you with faith. Examples in the bible: The bible is full of stories of people that decided to make God their priority and never let doubt that the devil sowed to stop them putting their faith in God. Joseph (Genesis 37-50) God gives Joseph a vision and his family reject him (expand) and sell him off as a slave. He works hard and is wrongfully accused of raping someone (expand). His thrown in jail and helps someone interpret a dream that leads to this persons release from prison. The person promises to remember him but doesn t (expand). Joseph was rejected, let down by people around him, unfairly treated. I have no doubt that the devil would have whispered in his ear you won t amount to much, you can t even trust your family or anybody they just going to disappoint you, they just going to hurt you give up don t follow God s plan look at you. The bible tells us that Joseph always maintained his faith in God and continued to make God a priority in his life. God fulfilled every promise he made Joseph. Joseph became the 2 nd most powerful person in the known world. There is so many Josephs sitting in the church today. People that have felt rejected by the church, disappointed by the church and sometimes wrongfully accused by the church and been hurt by the church. Going around saying that you can t trust anyone especially in the church and its stopping you from making Jesus priorities your priorities. If that s you this morning, I believe Jesus is asking you to let that go and to stop focussing on yourself and people and focus on God and what He wants to do through your life
(Toss ball). I believe God is calling you to be like Joseph and to put your faith in God and His ability to use all your hurts, disappointments, accusations and rejection to produce in you a man or woman positioned to walk in the fullness of what God has destined for them. I believe God is challenging you to look at Josephs faith and say God you have never changed, you have no favourites so if you did that for Joseph as he put his faith and focus on you (expand), so will I. God wants to do amazing things in his kingdom through you if you would only say, like Joseph so will I. Moses (Exodus) Moses is in the desert looking after his livestock when he encounters God at a burning bush. God tells Moses that he has chosen him to go liberate God s people from Egypt. Exodus 3:11 (NLT) - Exodus 3:13 (NLT) - Exodus 4:1 (NLT) I have no doubt that the devil would have whispered in his ear you right who are you, people won t believe you. Let me just remind you Moses you have some serious limitations regarding your speech. Honestly, who is going to take you seriously? 10 But Moses pleaded with the Lord, O Lord, I m not very good with words. I never have been, and I m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled. Exodus 4:10 (NLT) The bible tells us that Moses decided to believe God and put his faith in him and make God s priorities his priorities. God fulfilled every promise he made Moses. He led the Israelites out of Egypt and led them to the Promised Land. There is so many Moses sitting in the church today. People that listen to the devil and look at their limitations, their weaknesses, their shortcomings and argue just as Moses did God you can t use me because if have (Expand) If that s you this morning, I believe Jesus is asking you to let that go and to stop focussing on yourself and people and focus on God and what He wants to do through your life (Toss ball). I believe God is calling you to be like Moses and to put your faith in God and His ability to use all your shortcomings, limitations and weaknesses and walk in the fullness of what God has destined for them. I believe God is challenging you to look at Moses faith and say God you have never changed, you have no favourites so if you did that for Moses as he put his faith and focus on you (expand), so will I. God wants to do amazing things in his kingdom through you if you would only say, like Moses so will I.
David (Exodus 37-50) When David was anointed king over Israel something interesting happened. Samuel the prophet was sent by God to go to Jesse and anoint one of his sons as the next king of Israel. 1 Samuel 16:5 tells us that Samuel consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice to God where the next king would be anointed. All the brothers went, except David. He was the youngest interestingly none of his family felt it necessary to ensure that he was there? He was the youngest and did not have the outer appearance of strength like his brothers did. Think about it, they didn t think he had a chance. 10 In the same way all seven of Jesse s sons were presented to Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, The Lord has not chosen any of these. 11 Then Samuel asked, Are these all the sons you have? There is still the youngest, Jesse replied. But he s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats. Send for him at once, Samuel said. We will not sit down to eat until he arrives. 12 So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes. And the Lord said, This is the one; anoint him. 1 Samuel 16:10-12 (NLT) I have no doubt that the devil would have whispered in his ear your family didn t even think you could be considered as a king you should be so offended, nobody recognises you. 12 So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes. And the Lord said, This is the one; anoint him. 1 Samuel 16:10-12 (NLT) The bible tells us that God chose David over his brothers. The point is it doesn t matter what people think of you, if God has chosen you to do something for him, then the creator of the universe knows you can. David s life was a life of pursuing the priorities of God. David became the greatest king Israel ever had, yet his family thought it not necessary to ensure that he was at the sacrifice. God fulfilled every promise he made David. There is so many David s sitting in the church today. People that listen to the devil and are offended because nobody is taking notice of them or inviting them, always feeling left out. If that s you this morning, I believe Jesus is asking you to let that go and to stop focussing on offense and people and focus on God and what He wants to do through your life (Toss ball). I believe God is calling you to be like David and realise that if God has chosen you to do something in his kingdom, it doesn t matter if people don t recognise you, God has so put your faith in God and His ability to use for what God has destined you to do for him.
I believe God is challenging you to look at David s faith and say God you have never changed, you have no favourites so if you did that for David s he put his faith in you (expand), so will I. God wants to do amazing things in his kingdom through you if you would only say, like David so will I. Peter and Paul (Acts) Peter and Paul were the most influential people that God build his church through after the death and resurrection of Jesus. Peter evangelised the Jews and Paul evangelised the Gentiles. The New Testament church was established through these two men. Think about how powerfully God used them. We would not have 70% on the New Testament if it wasn t for them. God chose these two men to build the church that has lasted more than two thousand years. Interestingly had stories of failing God in spectacular fashion Matthew 26 Peter denies Jesus (Expand) 3 But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison. Acts 8:3 (NLT) I have no doubt that the devil would have whispered in his ear you failed God so spectacularly, why do you think he would use your life, You can t trust yourself, you fell in the past, why you so confident you won t again The bible tells us that both pursued the priorities of God and God forgave, redeemed and restored Peter and Paul and used them powerfully. Their past did not define them, their future did. They not remembered for their failures but remembered for what God did through them. There is so many Peter and Paul s sitting in the church today. People that listen to the devil and look at their failures and instead of listening to the voice of God that says he forgives, redeems and restores the paralysed by their past failures and are missing on the destiny God has for them. People that are going to be remembered for their failures (expand) and not for the amazing things God did through them. If that s you this morning, I believe Jesus is asking you to let that go and to stop focussing on yourself and your failures and focus on God and what He wants to do through your life (Toss ball). I believe God is calling you to be like Paul and Peter and to put your faith in God and His ability to use all your failures and walk in the fullness of what God has destined for them. I believe God is challenging you to look at Paul and Peters faith and say God you have never changed, you have no favourites so if you did that for Paul and
Peter as he put his faith in you (Expand), so will I. God wants to do amazing things in his kingdom through you if you would only say, like Paul and Peter so will I. Conclusion: What is stopping you from pursuing God and making his priorities and kingdom your priority this year? God is offering you more but you going to have to let some things go to gain what Christ has for you. God s track record is impeccable. He uses people that make Him a priority to do significant things in his kingdom despite the myriad of reasons why they can t. The devil is always going to make you doubt yourself but let me remind you who lives in you. He created everything we see by speaking it into life He opens seas Rains food from heaven and makes water come out of rocks
He brings down walls Protects people in a fiery furnace He raises people from the dead Etc. etc. etc. The bible is full of stories of people that make God their priority and God did significant things through their lives, the question is do you see how they responded to God and will you say this morning so will I?