CHRISTIAN SELF RE-EVALUATION TIME! Question: When you read the Word of GOD, who do you picture in your mind as the Main Character (the Protagonist) GOD or you? Many including myself naturally will say GOD, but if your honest to yourself you might reconsider as you read on. Yes I admit I had to do some re-evaluation in my own life after reading this all the way through, and this is a heart matter so if your not answering truthfully your only deceiving yourself! Now lets take another look at this question from a different approach! Whenever you read the Bible are you reading just to memorize his promises for yourself or to see what you can get out of it or are you reading to get to know GOD???? Your foundation could be off, and this will throw the rest of your life off! FOUNDATIONS: is the key in gaining the correct understanding of what life is all about. Introduction Ultimate Goal of authentic living: Living a life which brings God the greatest glory and you the greatest joy!! 1. Two questions: a. Can our foundations in the church be wrong? b. And can they go wrong and produce a Cancer in the Church? a. Assumptions or preconceived ideas b. Foundations are key in gaining the correct understanding of what life is all about. 2. Foundation example = building the foundation of the Unveiling Glory Studio a. Interview with the builder i. “If it doesn’t start off right, it’s not right when you get to the top!... ii. If the foundation is wrong, you have to correct it as you’re going along….” iii. The problems do not necessarily show up immediately…. iv. If your mortar is not right, through the years it weakens…. then the problems arise later…it just starts falling apart on you… b. Wrong foundation in Christianity i. Problems show up immediately or in years ii. Falling of Christian leaders evidence of the crumbling of our foundations 3. Laying the correct foundation a. Takes time and must be done right i. Fine adjustments must be made ii. Have we been careful in determining the foundations of our faith? b. Must have a leveling line to measure against i. We must know what our leveling line is in order to understand God’s plan for life. c. Takes a lot of hard work i. We must search the scriptures for the correct foundation for our Christianity ii. It means digging deeply into God’s Word and our hearts and asking tough questions as the Holy Spirit will teach you Pre- foundation work a. Take down the trees b. Smooth out the ground c. Footers dug and prepared d. Laying the blocks with the level e. Concrete floor laid 5. Christian Pre- foundation work a. We have to “tear down” some incorrect thinking… b. Could the disciples been wrong in some of their thinking? They didn’t understand what Jesus was doing. c. Augustine and other founding fathers may have had error in way they viewed the Word 6. Wrong foundations in the Christian faith iii. Conclusion a. Is like having cancer b. Cancer quietly destroys a human body c. Many people who have cancer are unaware of it. i. Rod Messick- had pain for years, finally diagnosed and died 3 weeks later, leaving a wife and 5 children. ii. Steve Watkins- had cancer for over a year and didn’t know it. Died and left wife and 3 sons. iii. Bob – diagnosed with same cancer as Steve, yet cancer was healed. d. Symptoms of cancer in the church i. Effects our songs, worship, messages we preach, Sunday School lessons, etc ii. If we have right foundations- symptoms are clear. iii. If we don’t have the right foundations- you won’t be able to spot the symptoms 1. Correct level line for Christianity is determined by : a. Thawed chicken or b. Frozen chicken c. Matt. 7:24-27= built house on rock or sand i. Christianity built on rock brings stability ii. Christianity built on sand brings disaster .................................................................... Foundations Lesson 2: The foundation must be built on Jesus Christ to be correct and to stand forever. i. Introduction 1. Review of lesson 1- importance of laying a firm foundation. 2. If we do not have a firm foundation, everything we are building will eventually fall and crumble. ii. Bible tells us to be wise in building our foundation in Christianity. a. I Cor. 3:10-14- like a wise master builder I laid a foundation and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. b. The foundation is Jesus Christ. c. How we build on the foundation of Christ is going to be tested! d. If the work remains, there will be reward; if nothing remains, the man will be saved, but his reward would be lost. 2. We build wisely by asking: Who is the main character of the Bible? a. If God- What does God get?… b. If us- What do I get out of this?… c. The average Christian says God is the main character of the Bible, but they live and act as if people are the main character, and people often replace God without even knowing it. d. Protagonist- The leading character, hero, or heroine of a drama or other literary work. e. God is the leading character. He rules over everything in the heavens from His throne. f. God is the center of all things. He is on a throne and everything revolves around Him. 3. God rules from His throne (a literal throne) a. Isaiah 6.1- God on His throne in the temple b. Rev. 4.1-7- John saw God sitting on His throne in heaven. c. Ps. 9:1-5 God is sitting on His throne, this time we see Him ruling over our enemies and over the nations. d. Lamentations 5:19 and Hebrews 1:8 we learn that the throne God is on will last forever and ever. e. Heb. 12.1-2 Jesus is right next to the Ancient of Days, sitting down interceding for us this very moment! f. And Jesus will give out from the throne judgments that lead to everlasting happiness, as well as everlasting misery. g. Heb. 4.16- Come to the throne for grace and mercy h. God’s throne is above all other thrones, above all human thrones, powers or authorities. From it comes judgment. Therefore Jesus intercedes for us next to it. And once judgment time comes, Jesus will sit on it and judge. And from it comes grace all at the same time. i. Foundation Key- We are NEVER to replace God on that throne. We are NOT the protagonist. We ourselves should 1. never replace God. Our church, nor our denomination, nor humanity should ever replace God. 4. Life is about God. It is about what He wants to do. He rules and reigns. 5. This is where we start in building upon the foundation that Paul has laid for us in Jesus Christ. We must be very careful in doing this. If we start here, we will be building on solid ground. iii. Conclusion- If you build wisely, your building will lead you to authentic living: Living a life where God gets the greatest glory and where you get the greatest ................................................................... Foundations Lesson 3: Life is all about God. i. Introduction a.Importance of a firm foundation b.Believers are to form their faith upon Christ. c. We can build correctly or incorrectly upon Christ. There can be Christians who have a faith in Christ, but are not living correctly according to God’s word. d. We say life is about God, but we live as if life is about us. We say God is on the throne and everything revolves around Him, but we live life as if everything revolves around us. ii. God is on the throne and everything revolves around Him! a. Rom. 11.36- For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen. i. He spoke and it came into being. Nothing came into being that God didn’t create. He is the author of all things. He has willed everything to be that we now see and experience. ii. All things hold together in God. Nothing holds together without God making it hold together. iii. That means everything around you right now, your computer screen, the computer itself, the light you are seeing by, the chair you are sitting in, the clothes on your back, are to point you to God. iv. Rom. 11.36 NLT: For everything comes from Him and exists by His power and is intended for His glory. All glory to Him forever! Amen. v. Rom. 11.36 ICB: 36Yes, God made all things. And everything continues through God and for God. To God be the glory forever! Amen. b. I Chr. 29: “O LORD the God of our ancestor Israel, may you be praised forever and ever! 11Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty… i. Everything around us is HIS kingdom! We are subject to Him whether we like it or not! And anything we have comes from God! c. Daniel 2.20 Then Daniel praised the God of heaven. 20 He said, “Praise the name of God forever and ever, for He has all wisdom and power. 21 He controls the course of world events: removes kings and sets up other kings. i. God controls world events. ii. Our scientists are given that wisdom by God. iii. He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness! And if God is the one who gives it, then everything revolves around Him! d. Acts 17.24NLT: 24“He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since He is Lord of heaven and earth, He doesn’t live in man-made temples; 25 and human hands can’t serve His needs—for He has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and He satisfies every need i. God made the world and everything in it. ii. He is the Lord of heaven and earth. iii. He gives life and breath to everything and satisfies every need. e. Col. 1.15 NLT: 15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, 16 for through Him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through Him and for Him i. Christ existed before anything else existed; we are not equal to Him. God is superior. God never began, He always was, and therefore He is preeminent. 1. The universe was created for God! 2. The earth was created for God. It was not created for us. It was not created for people in general. 3. It also means that you and I were created For God. Our purpose is not for ourselves. Even our very existence is FOR God. f. I Tim. 1.17 All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; He alone is God. Amen. g. I Tim.6.16 He alone can never die, and He lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach Him, nor ever will. All honor and power to Him forever! Amen. h. Rev. 4.9: 9And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, 10the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, 11“Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.” 2. Why do we worship? a. Because He created us, He is worthy to receive glory, honor and power. 2 b. Everything was created for God’s pleasure, to put a smile on God’s face. You are I are here to please God. 3. Everything revolves around God. He is the supreme creator of all things. He thought us up. He holds us together. 4. Our focus should be on Him. Everything should revolve around Him. 5. Proverbs 16.4 NLT: The LORD has made everything for His own purposes, even the wicked for a day of disaster. God is completely in charge and in control. God is using everything for His own purposes. iii. Conclusion a. We’re laying upon the foundation that Paul has given us in Jesus Christ. b. If we don’t build upon it correctly, God will not get the greatest glory and we will not get the greatest joy. c. We are learning that God, right now, and always, is on a throne and He is ruling and reigning over all things. d. We have also found that everything is to revolve around Him. For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. e. We are also finding out that He is to be worshiped and praised simply because He made us, He created us, and He thought us up. For that reason alone, He is to be praised! f. Once we put God in His rightful place, we begin laying a correct foundation that will give us a theology that will be able to stand up against anything life can throw at us. 1. The Bible is all about God. Life is all about God. Our lives need to be all about God. 2. Therefore we need to be asking the simple question, “What does God get out of this, not, “What do I get out of this.” 3. Learning to ask this question will help you discover your greatest Joy, and will bring God, His greatest glory!
Posted on: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 05:57:36 +0000
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