Worship: Songs – Faith, All Things Are Possible, God You’re So Good, Trust In God
- Praying for folks to truly testify, and not just declare and want: ‘I sought the Lord, and He heard, and He answered’. Personal examples as of late were how my car starter problems were resolved.
GNA Portion:
- Prayed for the kids who demonstrated their competition piece, on Bible Reading. Sure, they sounded assertive and confident, but I felt the need to tell them – “the Word you speak isn’t as much for the people watching and listening, more than it is for you. You’re saying ‘obey your parents’, and ‘be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might’ more for yourselves, than for anyone else.”
- Later after the entire service, an elder told me that she was less impressed and pulled these kids to the side after we prayed for them. She shared to me that she told them: “If you want any chance of winning the competition you’re going to, you’re going to need to internalize, deeper than memorization.” Amen!
Opened my message with a revelation: I am satisfied when You are glorified.
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” – Psalm 37:4
“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence (glory) there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” – Psalm 16:11
- There is glory in His presence.
“It is my eager expectation and hope that… Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” – Philippians 1:20–21
“Though the fig tree should not blossom… yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation” – Habakkuk 3:17–18
Recap:
Rooted Together: We bear one another’s burdens. We celebrate each other. When one is burdened, we are all burdened. When one wins, all win.
But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.1 Corinthians 12:24-26
20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.1 Corinthians 12:20-22
Rooted and Stable: No one member of the body of Christ is rooted alone. We are rooted together, and, therefore, stand stronger against wind and water.
…though one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.Ecclesiastes 4:12
Five of you will pursue a hundred, and a hundred of you will pursue ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.Leviticus 26:8
We discussed – we’re rooted together, we’re rooted together and stable, and now, we are rooted together and sustained together; Or, we are rooted, and sustained together.
Where does the sustenance come from?
- From the Lord Himself
27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”John 20:27
Of all the Scriptures we can talk about regarding God being our Sustenance, and/or our Provision/Provider, we were brought to this verse.
We’re therefore reminded, that before anything else we could receive or absorb, we ought to know, trust and appreciate Christ Himself as our Bread of Life, our Water of Life, our Living Word – We are brought to believe in Him before anyone or anything else.
4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.John 15:4-5
A pleasant reminder that we started this year of declaring that we are bearing much fruit.
We are rooted together – but, here, we remember that we are also branches, together in the sense that we are all connected to one Vine.
7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
And whose hope is the LORD.
8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,
Which spreads out its roots by the river,
And will not fear when heat comes;
But its leaf will be green,
And will not be anxious in the year of drought,
Nor will cease from yielding fruit.Jeremiah 17:7-8
- From the Lord, Through each other.
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. Galatians 6:7-10
In closing, I reminded all of us that we love each other – not for God to love us, but BECAUSE God loved us first. Also, we give to each other – not for God to give to us, but BECAUSE, through Christ primarily, God has already given so much to us; Everything, in fact.
Next week, we move forward and discuss how we are rooted, and therefore are rested.
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