What Are People Hungry For?

 11/25/12 Ready, Set, GROW!!

    We have just celebrated the holiday of Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving, where it is common to celebrate with a great meal.  People arrive at the place of gathering hungry for a great meal.  They start hungry and walk away stuffed.  They say things like,
“Oh, I don’t need to eat for a week.”
“I don’t want to look at food for a long time.”
    Then, something interesting happens.  Even though they don’t really feel hungry, a little later in the day, they start to graze the leftovers.  The refrigerator door opens and it is all set out again and the family digs in again.  One of the reason why some don’t like to eat out on Thanksgiving is that there are no leftovers.  I even saw an ad for a restaurant that promised to send you home with leftovers if you eat Thanksgiving dinner there.
    During the grazing time some will say, “I don’t know what I’m hungry for, I’m just looking.”
    After Thanksgiving comes the Christmas season.  The promotion of greed and good deals has already started.  The focus of many on Thursday was as much on when they would head out shopping and plotting their moves in the store as it was on family and dinner.  Some got no sleep, preferring to be the first in line to save money on something they simply could NOT live without.
    So, as Christmas is coming, people are getting hungry for stuff.  They are creating lists and circulating them among their relatives.  This is what I want . . .
    At Christmas, some are hungry for family fellowship.  The really look forward to the gathering of those they don’t often see.
    At Christmas, others really don’t know what they are hungry for.  The question comes up in their thinking:  What really satisfies?  The question actually should be:  Who really satisfies?  Material things always fall short of expectations.
    We seek relationships because that is how God made us.  This is why so many people go from one bad relationship to another, because they are hungry for something and they can’t seem to find it.
    *** (Be sure to get this point) We find the ultimate fulfillment and satisfaction in a real and growing relationship with Jesus.  Out of that we can have satisfying human relationships based on God’s principles.
    So, the key question: what/Who are people really hungry for?  Let’s look at the answer, starting with a quotation from Jesus.
Matthew 11:28-30 NIV
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
    “I’m hungry for what really satisfies.  I don’t need any fluff.”  Since we were made for real relationship with Jesus, anything short of that doesn’t live up to what we need.  Life makes us weary and we feel the burdens.  We need a connection with Jesus.
    Think of this special invitation from Jesus to all who are weary and burdened.  The sinful nature we inherited and the influences of the world around us bring many problems.  Receiving the promises Jesus made by committing our lives to Him and living in obedience to His teachings, we live in freedom and rest.  Being yoked to Jesus gives us strength to face the difficulties of life.
Hebrews 4:14-16 NIV
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. 16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.     What are you going through in life?  What are you tempted with?  Jesus lived on earth and understands what you are facing.  Jesus can empathize with what you face.  Jesus carried the burden of sin on Himself on the cross.  He endured the weight of sin so we can experience victory over it.  God gives us power to say no to temptation.
    Since Jesus knows and understands what we deal with, we can approach the throne of grace with confidence.  Our loving Savior is ready to help us.  We have open and free access to the highest authority anywhere.  Without fear we can come to God for help.
    Please take note: your spiritual enemy will do anything it takes to pull you away from fellowship and connection with Jesus.
Isaiah 53:4-5 NIV
4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
    Look at these awesome promises that come from what Jesus did for us.
Again, the question: what/Who are people really hungry for?
    Purpose, a reason to get up in the morning.
    Have you seen the bumper sticker?  I owe, I owe, so off to work I go. If that is the only reason to get up in the morning, life must be a major challenge.
**Is there a greater purpose in living other than simply gaining things and paying the bills?
**Is there a purpose that involves something that makes a real difference?
**Is there a purpose about things that last?
    In Jesus we find our purpose.  He gives us life that is so much more than simply survival.
1 John 5:12-13 NIV
12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
    God has promised us more than just an endless existence.  We have a unique quality in life as we live with Jesus here on earth and get to know Him.  Jesus said that we have eternal life, not just hope for something special in the future.  We must develop an active and in progress faith that leads to a growing relationship with Jesus.
    We also have a future hope.  We all recognize the fact that some day we will leave this earth.  What an awesome hope that is.
    This week I read a post on FaceBook by Rich Lemberg, our District Secretary.  He was writing about his mother.  He wrote:
    I was sitting with my mom listening to some hymns and reading some Psalms. She decided to go to heaven. The angels are rejoicing with a great saint. We will miss you mom.
    His father was a friend of mine and fellow pastor who passed away over thirty years ago.  His mom finally joined the Lord and her husband this week.  What a powerful promise.  The family and friends don’t have to be consumed with panic and fear because of God’s amazing promise of eternal life.  This is something we have in Jesus.
    We have purpose in Jesus because what we are involved in will last.  It answers the deepest questions of life.
Again, the question: what/Who are people really hungry for?
    Friends, people who really care.
    I want to put the emphasis on really care.  This is where we as the local church can and must make a strong effort and really be the friends we all need.  I believe we do a good job at that.  We must continue to focus on this so we don’t miss out on caring for one another.     This summer I was the recipient of “Christians acting like Christians”.  When I received the phone call about my brother, Roger, and we headed to Missouri to be with the family, we were the recipients of genuine Christian love.  His friends almost competed to see who could bring us lunch each day.  They did an amazing job of carrying us through the days in the hospital and then through the funeral.  Back here you were doing what you could for us.  When we returned you were very kind to us as we continued to process all that happened.
    It is always a good thing to be guilty of acting like Christians.
Acts 2:42 NIV
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
    One phrase from verse 46 . . . and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
    The church established a good foundation at the beginning.  They devoted themselves, they steadfastly persevered in these important ingredients for being the church Jesus intended.  This included their fellowship and sharing meals. 
    They were together, there was unity.  They focused on the unity and would not let anything mess it up.
    Just what is this Christian fellowship?  There are discussions and debates as to what it is.  Some thoughts:
❏    A bond of common purpose and devotion
❏    Unity in Jesus
❏    A close association
❏    Scripture study and learning
❏    Shared meals
❏    A common fellowship with Jesus through personal salvation
❏    A fellowship with Jesus through the Communion Table which leads to caring and compassion for fellow believers.
❏    Shared spiritual blessings
1 John 1 NIV
3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
    This fellowship is an important aspect of our Christian pilgrimage. Fellowship with Jesus is to emerge in fellowship with other believers.
    I want to read a story written by Erwin Lutzer.  Look for how you can make an application to this point we are talking about.
Lions Attack a Buffalo Separated from the Herd
    Recently I watched a program on the Animal Channel that showed a herd of buffalo and six lions. The lions were plotting to have a buffalo for dinner. Well, they found one buffalo that had strayed from the herd, maybe a couple hundred yards, and they went after that buffalo. So how do a few lions stop a buffalo? One lion grabbed the heel of one back leg of the buffalo, the other on the other back leg. And they just hung on until that buffalo slowed to a stop. Then one lion hopped on his back, another went after his stomach. And from there on you can just visualize what happened. It was gruesome.
    But here’s what shocked me. There were perhaps 100 buffalo, if not more, all standing and staring and watching this go down. I don’t know if buffalo can think. But if buffalo could think, you know what they’re thinking? Boy, am I ever glad that’s not happening to me! Imagine if this herd had decided we’re not going to let those lions get away with anything, and together they ran thundering in that direction with their horns down. Those lions would have scurried away immediately. The lions would never have a buffalo for lunch, if the buffalo stuck together.
    There’s a lesson for us there. First of all, Satan separates somebody from the herd. He makes them mad at the church and Christians, or angry because of some other reason. Once they’re away from the herd, he intensifies his attack. And then when we hear of the spiritual/demonic struggles that a person faces we say to ourselves, Boy, am I ever glad that’s not me! What we have to do as a congregation is to hang together. We have to close in and say we will not allow the devil to do this to our people.
    I think God wants us to humble ourselves, not just before him, but before others. Many people have been delivered from strongholds when they begin to share, and other people intercede for them. It’s in community that God grants victory. The spiritual resources are ours; we just have to use them.
Erwin Lutzer, “A Contested Universe,” Leadership Journal (Spring, 2012), p. 54
    Think of the impact when these principles are fully implemented.
LIFE APPLICATION: The Next Step
Ready, Set, GROW!

What are the key points of this message?

How can we apply this message?

TO SERVE JESUS

11/18/12 Ready, Set, GROW!!!

Facebook Question: What’s Hard about Serving Others?
    While preparing a sermon, a pastor named Kevin Miller posted a question to friends on Facebook: “What makes it hard for you to serve other people?”
    They gave great answers, including:
    “Serving is hard when it doesn’t fit in to my schedule or plan. Like when I want to go for a walk or take a long bath, but my aging parent needs me to sort their meds, run an errand, or simply be with them.”
    “It’s hard when their need seems endless. I don’t want to risk helping/serving because I may get sucked in. Being swallowed up in the serving and not getting to be the me I think I am or should be.”
    “There is such limited energy left after a demanding workday meeting our basic responsibilities (whether with young kids or in the corporate world). How do you balance the need for rest and self-care with serving others?”
    But my favorite answer was this one: “What makes it hard to serve others? Others.”
Kevin Miller, Wheaton, Illinois
    Being a servant is often a challenge.  Sometimes it is fun, often it is simply hard.
    Then, there are times when something motivates you to step up and really do a good job.
Supervisor’s Presence Changes Flight Attendants’ Service
    I read about a man named Joe, an executive who did a lot of business traveling. One day when Joe was on a flight, he commented to himself, I cannot believe this flight crew. They are the most attentive, responsive flight crew that I’ve ever seen. So, toward the end of the flight, he stopped one of the flight crew members and said, “Excuse me, I don’t mean to bother you, but I fly a lot, and I have never seen a flight crew this. You are the most engaged, enthusiastic, service-oriented flight crew that I’ve ever seen.”
    The flight attendant got a little smile on her face as she bent down and whispered to Joe, “Thank you, sir, but for that you can thank the woman seated back there in 12B.  You see, sir, the woman in seat 12B is the head supervisor for all of the flight attendants for our airlines. And she’s on our flight!”
    When we really know that Jesus is in our midst, that he is “on our flight”, it has a profound way of changing the way we serve other people.
http://www.preachingtoday.com/search/?searcharea=illustrations&type=keyword&keywordid=4174
African Proverb About How Everyone Can Make a Difference
    If you think you are too small to make a difference, try spending the night in a closed room with a mosquito.
    None of us are too small or insignificant to make a difference.  Let’s talk about serving the Lord.  With His help, we will make an impact.
    Today we are going to use a chapter from Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi.
Philippians 3:1-21 NKJV
No Confidence in the Flesh
1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. 2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, 4 though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. 7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.
    There is a spiritual battle going on.  It affected Paul so long ago.  It still impacts the church today.  Paul called them dogs - men who do evil.  Paul experienced great grief in ministry because of those who misrepresented and distorted the message of Christ.  He was also hurt by those who compromised their faith.  Paul wasn’t afraid to accurately tell it like it is.  Those who distort the truth, those who take the Bible out of context to make it say what they want it to say, are the enemy of God.
    There are places where compromise is a good thing.  But, not when it changes the message of the Bible.  They fit into the category of those who do evil.
Keep the World Out of the Christian
    “It’s not the ship in the water but the water in the ship that sinks it. So it’s not the Christian in the world but the world in the Christian that constitutes the danger.”
Evangelist and pastor J. Wilbur Chapman, 1859-1918
Men of Integrity May/June 2004
    Yes, keep the world out of the Christian, don’t let the world take over.  The world worships fame.
    Integrity understands the necessity of rejecting popularity.  One of the problems in our modern culture is the worship of popularity.  If it is popular, it must be just fine.  Many people live by opinion polls.  But, truth is not decided by public opinion.  They forget that the majority can be wrong.
    Paul said that the things that had been so important to him he considered loss, worthless.  It is more important to know and be connected to Christ.  All the other things that seem so important will fade away.
    As Paul matured in the faith, his love for Jesus, the church and the truth of salvation through faith was so intense that he boldly opposed all that perverted the truth.  He expressed this in another letter.
Galatians 1:9 NKJV
As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
    That is a powerful statement that those who preach another gospel would come under God’s curse, doomed to destruction.
Paul’s Desire to Serve Christ
8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
    A very important insight and goal:  That I may gain Christ.  Nothing else mattered to him. We see his heart and the core of Christianity.
This is a powerful desire for believers:
**To know Jesus, not just know about Him
**To experience His close presence
**To have His companionship in daily life
**To understand that anything else was garbage
**To comprehend His nature and character
**To have the Word of God revealed so it can be applied in life
**To follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance
**To fully identify with Jesus
    Look at verse 10.
10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
    I can’t imagine the power of resurrection.  The power over death to bring life where it doesn’t exist.  Only God can do that.  But, we can experience life that comes from God.
Romans 8:11 NKJV
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
    Life is renewed and transformed.  Miracles come and the power of sin is crushed.
    We would all love to experience this.  What we don’t want to have to experience is the self denial required.  The old nature must go.  God’s righteousness must grow in us.  Paul said he also wanted to know Jesus in the fellowship of His sufferings.  This is the full commitment necessary to impact the world.
    Verse 9 talks about the righteousness that comes from God. This is a right relationship with God and the power of His Spirit.  The result is living correctly by His standards.  This comes from Jesus living in our hearts.  His righteousness is expressed through us.
The High Calling of God
12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. 16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.
    Paul expressed a goal.  He had not yet reached the point of perfection, of all he had hoped to accomplish.  But, he kept his focus.  He saw himself in an athletic competition, pushing to the finish line.  He was giving it everything he had.  He was focused and committed to winning.
1 Timothy 6:11-12 NKJV
11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
    Paul was writing to Timothy that he had to flee the love of money and pursue righteousness.  Fight the good fight of faith and focus on eternity.  This motivated Paul.  Nothing would sidetrack him from this passion.  His only purpose in life was to do what God had for him.
    Don’t let distractions, temptations, worries, riches or evil desires choke out your commitment to Jesus.  Keep your eyes on the prize.  Some day we will gladly leave the world behind.
    Don’t allow Satan to frustrate you with guilt.  We have been freed us from all of that.
    Keep on growing up in Jesus, maturing in the work of eternity.  Focus on your dedication to Jesus.  Apply the Biblical knowledge you have and gain more.

TO SERVE JESUS
❏    We will face a battle.
❏    Anything outside of eternity is eventually understood as rubbish.
❏    Press on faithfully in your service to Jesus.
    As we mature, we need to increase in our service to Jesus.  Faithful service will see eternal results.
LIFE APPLICATION: The Next Step
Ready, Set, GROW!

What are the key points of this message?

How can we apply this message?

WATER BAPTISM

NR 11/11/12 Ready, Set, GROW!!

    Water baptism is not just a routine or a ritual.  It is a testimony of belief in and commitment to Jesus.  Serving the Lord is a serious commitment.  When a person is baptized it is a very special time in their spiritual life and growth in the Lord.
Teen Brought Luggage to Her Baptism
    When Texas pastor Jim Denison was in college, he served as a summer missionary. While there he attended a small church. At one of the church’s worship services, a teenage girl came forward to announce her decision to follow Christ and be baptized.
    During the service, Denison noticed some worn-out luggage leaning against the wall of the church building. He asked the pastor about it. The pastor pointed to the girl who had just been baptized and told Denison, “Her father said that if she was baptized as a Christian she could never go home again. So she brought her luggage.”
Raymond McHenry, Stories for the Soul (Hendrickson, 2001), p. 48
    When Jesus died on the cross it was a total commitment on His part.  He did it for us.  He gave us the gift of eternal life, the gift of forgiveness of sin.  Our commitment to Him is just as serious.
    Today I will give a brief outline of baptism.  You have a good outline of the topic in your notes.
    In studying the Bible we find that Christians were baptized.  What does the Bible say about baptism?  Following the teaching of the Bible in water baptism is very important.  As Christians, we strive to do what God’s Word commands.  This includes baptism.
    Water Baptism is one of the ordinances of the church.  What is an ordinance?  It is a thing commanded.  The ordinance is given to us from the Bible, commanded of God.  Because it is commanded by God, we do it.
    When Jesus left this world, He told the disciples to baptize believers.  Water baptism is a matter of obedience to God.
Matthew 28:19-20 NKJV
19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
    From the very beginning, the church has been following this command.  On the day of Pentecost we read:
Acts 2:41 NKJV
Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
    BAPTISM IS FOR CHRISTIANS.  Baptism will not save you.
    Baptismal Regeneration - this is the term used by some to be a sign that salvation that comes through baptism.  However, baptism does NOT save us.  I John 1:7 says that the Blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.  It is the blood, not the baptism, that saves.  If you are not already saved, baptism will do you no good, in fact it could hurt you.  You could easily say that you don’t need to ask Jesus into your heart, since a church somewhere has already baptized you.  This is where infant baptism is so dangerous spiritually, because people think they are set, because they were sprinkled as a child.
WHAT DOES BAPTISM REALLY MEAN?
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE?
    Baptism represents an IDENTIFICATION of the believer with Christ.  We are made complete in Jesus,
Colossians 2:10 NKJV
and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
     As Christians, we want to be like Jesus.
Galatians 3:27 NKJV
For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
    We identify with Christ’s CRUCIFIXION/DEATH.
Romans 6:3 NKJV
Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
Verse 6
knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
    The old man, the old nature of sin that controls you is destroyed.  We don’t serve sin any more.  It is only through the Blood of Jesus that any person can overcome sin.
    We identify with Christ’s BURIAL.
Romans 6:4 NKJV
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Colossians 2:11-12 Living Bible
When you came to Christ He set you free from your evil desires, not by a bodily operation of circumcision but by a spiritual operation, the baptism of your souls.  For in baptism you see how your old, evil nature died with Him and was buried with Him;  and then you came up out of death with Him into a new life because you trusted the Word of the mighty God who raised Christ from the dead.
Galatians 2:20 NKJV
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
    Baptism is a beautiful picture of the burial of the old nature and the resurrection to newness of life in Jesus.  The old nature is dead, and life is only thorough what Jesus is doing.  Because the old nature was crucified, you can live free from its bondage and terror.
    We identify with Christ’s RESURRECTION.
Romans 6:5 NKJV
For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,
    We have new life in Jesus.  We have a Christ-like life, NEW!!!!!
Romans 6:4 NKJV
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Colossians 2:6 NKJV
As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
    The identification is followed completely as the person is immersed completely in the water.  A beautiful picture of what Christ did for us.  He died for us, He didn’t faint.  Total commitment.
THE MANNER/MODE OF BAPTISM
    The Greek word for Baptism literally means dip, immerse.  This was the way the early church baptized.
    There is a Biblical and simple way to answer the question of the mode of baptism.  If you had no previous teaching on the subject (absolutely no previous mental pictures of what baptism should be), and just looked through the Scriptures, this is what you would find:
1.  Baptism requires WATER
Acts 8:36 NKJV
Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”
2.  Baptism requires MUCH WATER
John 3:23 NKJV
Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized.
3.  The participants go down INTO the water
Acts 8:38 NKJV
So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.
4.  Baptism requires BURIAL in the water
Romans 6:4 NKJV
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Colossians 2:12 NKJV
buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
5.  Baptism requires COMING UP out of the water
Matthew 3:16 NKJV
When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.
Acts 8:39 NKJV
Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.
THE CANDIDATE FOR BAPTISM, WHO SHOULD BE BAPTIZED?
    The person seeking water baptism must first of all be truly born again.  It is only for believers.  In the Bible we find people being baptized AFTER they are saved.  In every situation in the Bible where it says people were baptized it is done in connection with or subsequent to believing in Jesus.
Acts 2:41 NKJV
Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
Acts 8:12-13 NKJV
12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. 13 Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done.
Acts 8:36-37 NKJV
36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” 37 Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
Acts 9:17-18 NKJV
17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.
Acts 10:47-48 NKJV
“Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?"” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.
Salvation
II Corinthians 5:17 NKJV
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
John 1:12 NKJV
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
Acts 3:19 NKJV
Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,
    When should a Christian be baptized?  The Biblical way was to baptize when a person got saved, ie. Peter at the house of Cornelius.  Christians should be baptized as soon as possible after conversion.
    Baptism is a powerful testimony of what Jesus has done in your life.  It is an outward sign of an inward commitment.

New Life - Growing God’s Way

11/4/12 Ready, Set, GROW!!

Don’t Recycle Old Life - Len Sullivan, Tupelo, Mississippi
    In the late 1920s my grandparents married and moved into Grandpa’s old family home. It was a clapboard house with a hall down the middle. In the ‘30s they decided to tear down the old house and build another to be their home for the rest of their lives.
    Much to my grandmother’s dismay, many of the materials of the old house were re-used in their new house. They used old facings and doors, and many other pieces of the finishing lumber. Everywhere my grandmother looked, she saw that old house—old doors that wouldn’t shut properly, crown molding split and riddled with nail holes, unfinished window trimming. It was a source of grief to her. All her life she longed for a new house.
    When God brings us into the kingdom, the old way of living must be dismantled and discarded.
Len Sullivan, Tupelo, Mississippi
http://www.preachingtoday.com/search/?searcharea=illustrations&type=keyword&keywordid=4627&start=11
    Jesus didn’t die on the cross to save us to simply rearrange the old life we had.  He didn’t come to just take the mess and move things around.  He came to make us completely new.  The old things are passed away and all has become new.  He came to help us grow HIS WAY.
    I like a thought expressed by a well known author, Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Going Beyond What You Know
    Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.
    God takes new believers and makes them something they have never been. They experience spiritual growth. He takes people who have been following Him for a long time and continues to shape them and make them more and more like Him.  We will continually be experiencing New Life - Growing God’s Way.
    The theme that we have talked about much this year: Ready, Set, GROW!!  We have looked for growth as a church and also personal spiritual growth.  Today I want to talk about our personal spiritual growth using starting out with passages from Proverbs.
Proverbs 14:12 NKJV
There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
Proverbs 16:25 NKJV
There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
    I always find it interesting when I read these chapters to find these two verses exactly the same.  God must want us to get the point.  Things that seem right in the eyes of humans, things that SEEM right only lead to death.
    Seems right. Humanistic wisdom and reasoning (based on individual satisfaction and benefit as its highest goal) is a poor basis for determining what is true or false, right or wrong, worthy or unworthy. No matter how convincing or well-intentioned our ideas and actions may be, if they are not in line with God’s plans and standards they will likely lead to unexpected consequences and disaster. In the end, doing things our own way (which is one of the definitions of sin, Isa 53:6) will lead to spiritual death. God’s written revelation—his Word as recorded in the Bible—is the only infallible (i.e., perfect, reliable, unfailing) source for determining the right path of life. The human way leads to death; God’s way leads to eternal life.
Fire Bible.
Isaiah 53:6 NKJV
All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Romans 6:16 NKJV
Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
□    Obedience leads to righteousness
□    Sin leads to death.
Here, the Apostle Paul gives a solemn warning to Christians who think they can sin without consequence.  Some believe they can sin and, since they have already repented, they are OK.  However, they are missing a point.  Those who continue to actively sin become a slave to sin. This leads to spiritual death.
Romans 6:21-23 NKJV
21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
    What are the results, the fruit of continuing to sin?  Spiritual death.  Believers have been set free from sin and are slaves to God.  This leads to fruit of holiness and eternal life.  Sin brings death, God brings eternal life.
Proverbs 14:14 NKJV
The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied from above.
    Where is your heart?  Is it focused on God?
    The faithless, the backslider describes people who turn away from God with  their hearts and affections.  They become selfish and reject what God wants.  Eventually they will experience miserable consequences of their choices.  Faithfulness to God will bring the rewards God promises.  This reminds me of:
Proverbs 13:15 KJV
Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard.
    Actions bring results.  As we serve God we will be SATISFIED.  In our Bible Study Wednesday we talked about the fact that the evil one continually tries to make us think that we are missing something by being faithful to God, by obeying His Word.  Yes, we are missing something.  To quote a silly old song, we are missing:
Gloom, despair and agony on me.
Deep dark depression, excessive misery.
If it weren’t for bad luck I’d have no luck at all.
Gloom, despair and agony on me.
Proverbs 14:34 NKJV
Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people.
    Do our actions make any difference?  Does righteousness mean anything? Does it really matter?
Righteous:  characterized as honest, generous, steadfast and courageous, merciful and just, covenant keeper, committed to God and living justly among His people.
**Righteousness is grounded in the character of God.
**People are not naturally righteous.
**God credits righteousness to those who exercise faith in Him. In Christ one becomes all that God requires.
**The Christian is to put on the breastplate of righteousness.
**Timothy was exhorted to flee youthful lusts and call on God from a pure heart, and pursue righteousness.
Thoughts from Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary
    Our trip to grow in righteousness is a process.  Billy Graham’s wife, Ruth, was traveling with him one day when they came to the end of road construction.  There was a sign that said, “End of construction. Thank you for your patience.”
    God is continually working in us to see our righteousness grow.  Whether a nation or a person, righteousness exalts, and sin destroys.  Let God continue to construct you till He has completed His task.
Proverbs 21:2 NKJV
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the hearts.
    This verse is a great wrap up to this topic today.  It is so common to think that I have it all figured out.  My own eyes.  But, God deals with and checks out the heart.
Discussion questions:
Why is the first part of this verse so true?
What is the result of people who insist on being right?
What is the implication of the second part of this verse?
New Life - Growing God’s Way
The Stories We Love Will Shape Our Character
    Professor Daniel Taylor notes that as a child Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Christian leader who was executed for resisting the Nazis, was greatly moved by reading a book entitled Heroes of Everyday. It was filled with stories of courageous young people who, with selflessness and clear thinking, often saved others’ lives, sometimes at the cost of their own. And, apparently, shortly before his execution, Bonhoeffer was also reading Plutarch’s Lives, a book that explores the courageous character of ancient figures. Based on Bonhoeffer’s example, Taylor asks:
    Can we doubt that Bonhoeffer’s reading shaped his acting, including his decision to risk his life to save others? Ethics are more formed by the stories with which we surround ourselves, than [just] by the rules that are drilled into us. Tell us what stories you value, and we have a good start on knowing who you are and how you will act in the world.
Daniel Taylor, “Story-Shaped Ethics,” Daniel Taylor Blog (8-8-11); source: Eric Metaxas, Bonhoeffer (Thomas Nelson, 2010), pp. 18-19
What do we fill our minds with?  The Bible is a good resource to use.  It will shape us.
LIFE APPLICATION: The Next Step
Ready, Set, GROW!
What are the key points of this message?
How can we apply this message?