Our Need for Vision

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These are my notes from Mateen Elass’ sermon on January 8, 2012, at 1st Presbyterian Church of Edmond. Our focus verse was Proverbs 29:18. The sermon title was, “Go West, Young Man.”

If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed. (Proverbs 29:18 MSG)

Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law. (Proverbs 29:18 NKJV)

Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint;
but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction. (Proverbs 29:18 NIV)

Consider the history of “manifest destiny” on our nation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manifest_Destiny

Three world views competing for our faith today

1. The new atheism, coming from some scientific circles – no God, no overarching truth or ethics
– groups agree on shared values
– cuts ties between earth and heaven
– fend for yourself mentality
– spawned materialism, a strong vision for many in our country (more is better)
– also spawned hedonism, using the world to satisfy myself and maximize pleasure / comfort

2. Radical Islam
– does believe in 1 God, known as the sovereign one
– God holds all power, demands his creation bows before Him in submission
– holds that all humans will submit to God, all nations will be dissolved into 1 nation to live under Sharia law
– no freedom to dissent or create other laws, since Sharia law is divinely instituted

3. Biblical Christianity
– this is our vision of our church
– God sits on his throne, but our central understanding of God is love rather than a focus on power

Our vision

We need an outward focus
We are called to be ambassadors of Christ and bring his reconciliation

Responses of 3 different workers
– I’m breaking rocks
– I’m earning money to feed my family – I’m building a cathedral

Do we see our work each day in the context of a grand vision which God has for our lives?

MY THOUGHTS: INTERESTING BUT PERHAPS NOT ENTIRELY HELPFUL TO COUCH THIS DISCUSSION IN THE CONTEXT OF “MANIFEST DESTINY.” HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT WE BE SAAVY TO THE TRUE CALLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND NOT BE MISLED BY THOSE WHO SEEK TO USE MESSAGES ABOUT GOD’S WILL TO PROMOTE POLITICAL CAUSES. (LIKE THE ANNEXATION OF MEXICO.)

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Not Understanding God’s Actions Responding to Satan

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Why did God respond this way to Satan? I don’t understand this.

Job 2:4-7 NLT

“Satan replied to the Lord, “Skin for skin! A man will give up everything he has to save his life. But reach out and take away his health, and he will surely curse you to your face!” “All right, do with him as you please,” the Lord said to Satan. “But spare his life.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence, and he struck Job with terrible boils from head to foot.”

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.us/Job2.4.NLT

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Imitate What is Good

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Happy New Year! It is 2012, and as Christians we are called to live differently than “the world.” John reminds us we are called to imitate what is good, not what is evil. Others around us constantly encourage us to listen to worldly voices, rather than God’s voice. Evil behaviors are modeled and championed around us in our culture in media, music, films, and advertisements. 

As we consider what resolutions we will make and follow in 2012, let us commit to imitating what is GOOD.

3 John 1:11, 12 NIV

“Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God. Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone—and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.”

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.us/3John1.11.NIV

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Friends Never Joke About Lying

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We should not lie and should never joke about lying to friends. Here, then, is a partial litmus test for true friendship. Passing this test is no guarantee of true friendship, but failing it is surely a sign of false friendship.

Proverbs 26:18, 19 NLT

“Just as damaging as a madman shooting a deadly weapon is someone who lies to a friend and then says, “I was only joking.””

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.us/Prov26.18.NLT

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Flee From Sexual Sin and Temptation

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This morning in our Friday Morning Men’s group, we studied and discussed Chapter 11 of Craig Groeschel’s book, “Weird: Because Normal Isn’t Working.” The chapter is titled, “Sex Cymbals.” This is one of the verses Craig cites in the chapter, and he notes God does not use this word (in Greek originally) for “flee” for any other sin or temptation.

1 Corinthians 6:18-20 NIV

“Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.us/1Cor6.18.NIV

Craig paints a vivid picture of how we need to build gates, moats, and other protective boundaries around ourselves to provide “moral margin” from sexual temptation. The world doesn’t want us to have these boundaries and is constantly at war with us to break them down. We must “man the walls” and be continually vigilant. The enemy is always on the prowl, and like the Greeks at the walls of Troy our enemy constantly seeks an opening to sneak inside for malicious purposes.

We must keep him out.

Check out Craig’s book, it is excellent.

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Focusing of God & Lifting Up Prayers

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This was our verse for today. We discussed meditation, the need to give our concerns over to God, and how to focus on the things of God.

Philippians 4:4-9 MSG

“Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute! Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious-the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.”

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.us/Phil4.4.MSG

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