Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place, Osoyoos
Pulpit Series Volume 20 Issue 3 January 24, 2010
You and I are really blessed, we get tell the greatest story there is to tell, in our own words, with our own passion, using our own love relationship with Jesus as an example.
Ephesians 5:15-17 Be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but try to understand what the Lord wants you to do.
I feel good when I do wise things. You’ve all seen that I married wisely. I know many of you ask: “How did he get her?”
Ephesians 5:15-17 Be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but try to understand what the Lord wants you to do.
I feel good when I do wise things. You’ve all seen that I married wisely. I know many of you ask: “How did he get her?”
I have the most wonderful job in the world. But there are nights when I climb into bed, wondering if I wasted that day. Did I take my eye off the ball? Did I throw away 24 hours?
There is not one single verse in the Bible, that says you can be a Christian and live your life any old way you want. God wants all of you. He doesn’t want 10% or even 99% of you.
Romans 6:13 Give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new life. And use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God.
Deuteronomy 10:12 This is what the Lord your God wants you to do: respect the Lord and do what He has told you to do. Love Him. Serve the Lord your God with your whole being.
We can have our spouses and our kids, and grand kids. We can love our jobs and live for our work. We can have hobbies and be fans of our favorite sports teams. We can have money and RRSPs. It does my heart good to know that Casey and his family are in Hawaii. These are all good things. They’re things created by God. But all of them, good as they are, need to be less then the number one thing.
A guy named Peter drove home one night, and found two women in his driveway. His wife, whom he had seen and kissed good-bye just that morning, and his mom, who was visiting their house for the first time since the couple had gotten married several months earlier. This young groom sized up the situation, parked the car, got out, walked past his mom, kissed his wife, then came back and greeted his mom. First things first. A mom is a great blessing, but the wife comes first. And God even higher.
Proverbs 3:6 In everything you do, put God first, and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success.
There is not one single verse in the Bible, that says you can be a Christian and live your life any old way you want. God wants all of you. He doesn’t want 10% or even 99% of you.
Romans 6:13 Give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new life. And use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God.
Deuteronomy 10:12 This is what the Lord your God wants you to do: respect the Lord and do what He has told you to do. Love Him. Serve the Lord your God with your whole being.
We can have our spouses and our kids, and grand kids. We can love our jobs and live for our work. We can have hobbies and be fans of our favorite sports teams. We can have money and RRSPs. It does my heart good to know that Casey and his family are in Hawaii. These are all good things. They’re things created by God. But all of them, good as they are, need to be less then the number one thing.
A guy named Peter drove home one night, and found two women in his driveway. His wife, whom he had seen and kissed good-bye just that morning, and his mom, who was visiting their house for the first time since the couple had gotten married several months earlier. This young groom sized up the situation, parked the car, got out, walked past his mom, kissed his wife, then came back and greeted his mom. First things first. A mom is a great blessing, but the wife comes first. And God even higher.
Proverbs 3:6 In everything you do, put God first, and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success.
Proverbs 10:27 Reverence for the Lord adds hours to each day.
Have you ever had a day where you stayed very busy but didn’t get much done?
Psalm 39:6 All our busy rushing ends in nothing.
I love the Word of God, I love the Christian message. I love being a child of God. I don’t always live by the right priorities, but I have them. I know they’re true.
When we make this lifelong decision to live a life that matches God’s purpose for us, it will be an incredibly rich, satisfying, and marvelous life.
And to take a quote from the new MacDonald’s ads - “That’s Golden”
Ephesians 2:10 We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
I like how Rick Warren puts it: “You’re made to make a contribution, not just to consume. God made you to make a difference. And what matters is not how long you live, but how you live. What matters is not the duration of your life, but the donation of your life, We’re created to serve, we’re saved to serve, we’re gifted to serve, we’re shaped to serve. We’re commanded to serve.”
The Bible teaches that if we have experienced good fortune—if we have lovely, comfortable homes, if we enjoy an abundant income, if we are blessed with natural gifts and abilities—then there is a service reason why God gave us those gifts.
The Bible teaches that if we have experienced good fortune—if we have lovely, comfortable homes, if we enjoy an abundant income, if we are blessed with natural gifts and abilities—then there is a service reason why God gave us those gifts.
Luke 12:48 From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded.
Peter writes in his first epistle: Each one should use whatever gift he’s received to serve others.
God could very easily take Christians to heaven the minute we join God’s family. Instant translation. Why doesn’t God do that? Why doesn’t heaven begin immediately?
Why are we still here? Because God put us here to serve, and He leaves us here to serve.
Every single person here is a minister, not just me. In fact, because my motives are tainted by a paycheck, you saints here are the purest ministers we’ve got.
Matthew 20:28 Your attitude must be like My own, for I did not come to be served, but to serve.
I love to look at the life of Jesus in order to learn the principles of service. First of all, serving like Jesus means being available.
Matthew 20 has a story where two blind men shouted from the sidelines: “Jesus, help us! Have mercy! Stop and give us a break!” Jesus stopped. He interrupted His schedule.
As members of “That Church” each of us needs to be willing to stop our regular schedule, to be interrupted.
As members of “That Church” each of us needs to be willing to stop our regular schedule, to be interrupted.
Most of Jesus’ healings, the times He blessed others, were interruptions.
People saying, “Jesus, please, I know you’re turning right up here; please turn left instead. Come to my house; come help me.” In fact, one man, a Roman centurion, knew he was interrupting Jesus, knew he was cutting into the schedule of the Ruler of the universe. And said: “No, no, no, I’m not worthy. I don’t want to take Your time. Just say the word.”
Jesus was willing to be interrupted.
Please remember this. You and I are going to live forever. We have infinity before us. If a neighbor needs a half an hour, if the church needs you to be here 45 minutes early to help put up the chairs and tables, if someone needs your leadership skills on some committee that takes a whole evening out of your life… what is that in light of the “forever” of heaven.
We must approach our God Purpose with a grateful heart.
Jesus was willing to be interrupted.
Please remember this. You and I are going to live forever. We have infinity before us. If a neighbor needs a half an hour, if the church needs you to be here 45 minutes early to help put up the chairs and tables, if someone needs your leadership skills on some committee that takes a whole evening out of your life… what is that in light of the “forever” of heaven.
We must approach our God Purpose with a grateful heart.
One thing that can destroy a grateful heart is coveting the experience of others. I want to go on the record as saying I am thankful for each of you, I love serving you; I love being your pastor; I love the work that God has called us too. I do not wish to be anywhere else!
It is here in this place, God calls for you and I to pick a job, and then do it. “Staying at it” Paul writes in I Corinthians 15:58 Throw yourself into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for Him is a waste of time or effort.
Hebrews 6:10 He’ll not forget how hard you have worked for Him, how you’ve shown your love to Him by caring for others.
One last thing. You make such a difference. Just you being here today is a plus I can’t describe properly.
I want to tell you today that if you minister in any venue God offers, there will come a time, standing in that better land, when someone will come up to you and say: “Thank you. I am a life that was changed. Thank you for giving your self to the Lord.”
One by one they came, Far as the eye could see.
Each life somehow touched by your generosity.
Little things that you had done, Sacrifices made.
Unnoticed on the earth, In heaven now proclaimed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord. I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord. I am so glad you gave.
Thank you for giving to the Lord. I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord. I am so glad you gave.
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