The power of words and combinations of words is amazing!
Shakespeare – 10 Words
“To be or not to be , that is the question.”
The wife of an inventor gave him a sign for his desk … it had 6 words .. he went to his drawing board and began a new design … when he finished the design he went into his shop and began fabricating what he had designed. When finished, he went to the pentagon and showed his design to the officers there. He took them out to a field and drove them through a challenging obstacle course. The words on the sign were … “Find a need and fill it!” His name was Henry J. Kaiser … his invention was the Kaiser Jeep.
With 5 words Hitler almost conquered the world
“Today Germany, tomorrow the world.”
In a meeting between a major manufacturer and it’s advertizing company. The advertizing executive made a comment to the president of the manufacturer… He said you guys at Nike just seem to do it! From that comment came an advertizing phrase that has created its own identity…
“Just Do It”
Deut 32:2-4 Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants.
Matt 7:21-29 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' 24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." 28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
I. Salvation
a. “To be or not to be, that is the question”
b. Shakespeare was close to the perfect question.
c. It is the perfect question when we apply it to our spiritual lives!
2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation ; the old has gone, the new has come!
d. When Christ comes into our lives, He makes us over anew!
e. There are two different words that are translated as “NEW.”
f. New =noos / kinos (spelling may not be correct)
g. Noos – new in kind … never used before.
i. On my desk is a box of pens … when I can’t find one, I reach into the box and get a new (NOOS) pen from the box.
h.Kinos – new by nature
i. unique
ii. If you sit down at an artist easel and paint a painting (no matter what talent you have) that painting will be new (KINOS) unique … no other painting like it will ever exist exactly like it.
i. You are a (new) kinos person
Matt 7:24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
As a new unique person having been made new by the infilling of the Holy Spirit of God you are completely changed into someone uniquely designed to do God’s work in your life.
II. Ministry
a. “Find a need and fill it”
b. For many who call themselves Christians, there is a great disconnect between what we say we believe and what we actually do.
c. When God saved you and made you into a new creation, He did so in order for you to have your own personal ministry!
d. God did not save us to be part of a “HOLY CLUB”. He saved us so that we would be about building HIS kingdom.
e. Remember Paul? Paul headed up a posse charged with hunting down Christians and in many cases executing them because they were different.
f. On the road to Damascus in a blinding light experience, Paul met Jesus. It was a life changing experience. Paul was made new (unique) through his relationship with God.
1 Cor 9:19-23 Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
g. Paul gained a relationship
h.Paul gained a Heavenly Father.
i. Paul gained a ministry.
j. Paul became a servant for God.
Paul “found a need and filled it”
III. Evangelism
a. As we’ve seen, Words have great power.
b. They have the power to achieve great good.
c. They also have the power to achieve great evil!
Hitler told Germany - “Today Germany, tomorrow the world” and with that he began building a nation to conquer the whole world. And they almost succeeded. Fortunately the world recognized the evil that was hidden in their agenda and defeated Germany.
What if we could win over the world for GOOD!
Matt 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
d. The only sword we battle with to conquer the world is The Word of God.
e. The power that keeps us working toward our goal is the power of the Holy Spirit!
f. We work to win the world for Jesus Christ!
g. We win them one by one as we spread His Kingdom!
IV. Victory
On Sunday nights we have been working on Vision for our church. In the discussion, someone pointed out that while Brother Greg was you interim, you studied Vision. The last two months I have preached on Vision and Taught Vision on Sunday nights. The question was asked … “We know academically what vision is, then why don’t we just do it?
THAT IS A FAIR QUESTION!
WHY DO WE THINK THAT WE CAN LIVE WITH DISREGARD FOR WHAT GOD TELLS US TO DO AND STILL EXPECT GOD TO BLESS OUR CHURCH?
Matt 7:29 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
a. Just do it!
Jesus at the wedding feast…
John 2:1-9 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding . 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine." … 5 His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." 6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet." They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine.
b. We read our Bibles … we know our Scripture … JUST DO IT!
c. We know what God wants us to do…We know what He says … JUST DO IT!
d. Ok … How do we just do it?
e. Two things
First – SET ASIDE YOUR FEAR!
f. “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself” – Truman
An Elderly Man who lived with his daughter had a great hobby. He spent his days entering contests. One day the phone rang and his daughter answered the phone. “Is this ‘so and so’?” the caller asked. “This is ‘so and so’s’ daughter she replied. The caller identified himself as the representative of a certain company. “Your father has just won $100,000 in the companies contest. After her excitement had subsided she began to worry that the shock might cause her father to have a heart attack kill him. She did what any person would do, she called their Pastor and asked him to break the news. The pastor came to tell him. “ Jim, are you still entering all those contests?”, The Pastor asked him. “Have you ever won anything?” “ No, not much” Well what would you do if you won $100 000”, the pastor asked. Jim said, “That’s easy I would give it all to the church!” The Preacher dropped dead with a heart attack right there!
Luke 11:28 "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."
g. We read the Bible … we know the stories .. We just need to do it!
h.Children of Israel could have had God’s best but fear stopped them …
i. If God asks you to do something. No matter how great or small,
i. God will give you tools.
ii. God will give you the resourses.
iii. Do NOT fear
iv. Trust Him and
v. JUST DO IT!
Second - Trust your faith
Matt 19:26 … with God all things are possible."
We are told to share our faith
Christ in me is the hope of Glory.
Why don’t we accomplish more than we are accomplishing
It was the Olympics marksmanship competition. Sven from Austria stepped to the line. One hundred shots from a pistol at 100 yards. 96 shots in the bullseye. Only 4 misses. He won the event. He was proclaimed a national hero in Austria. Their first Gold medal! Sven’s regular job was working in a factory that made shirts. One day at work Sven’s shirt sleeve caught in a piece of equipment. Before he could free himself the machine had pulled his shooting hand into the machine. The doctors had no choice but to amputate Sven’s shooting hand. After two weeks, Sven returned home from the hospital. The next morning Sven kissed his children good bye as they left for school. Sven’s wife was doing the breakfast dishes as Sven came out of bedroom with his gun she watched as her husband walked out back door fear gripped her stomach. When the shot rang out she crumpled to the floor in grief. But then she heard another shot… then another and another. She ran out the back door to find him practicing with his other hand… next Olympics shooting with his left hand he shot a perfect 100 out of one hundred bulls eyes. The first perfect score in that event in Olympic history.
Just Do It!
Tomorrow
It is never too late to do it. He was going to be all that a man could be – tomorrow. None would be braver or stronger than he – tomorrow. A friend who was troubled and weary He knew, Who wanted some help and needed it to, On him he would call and see what he could do – tomorrow. The greatest of mortals this man would have been – tomorrow. The world would have known him if he had only seen – tomorrow. But the fact is he died and faded from view and all that was left when his living was through
Was a mountain of things that he intended to do - tomorrow
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