Have you ever gone swimming in water that was kind of cold?  You know, like when you go in the ocean and you first step in and it’s freezing.  You know once you get in all the way you’ll get used to it, but with each step the cold creeps up your legs.  And everybody knows the best thing to do is just plunge all the way in.  But a lot of people just don’t want to do that.  They know it’s best but they don’t like the idea of that instant chill.  Could it be the same with a lot of people when it comes to faith?

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Have you ever driven by somebody’s house and seen something they had put at the end of the driveway to throw away and thought that would be something you’d like to have?  Or maybe you’re a garage sale pro.  Isn’t it amazing how many things some people want to get rid of, and how many others see a treasure in that item?

What’s even more amazing is how that happens in so many people’s lives.  They do things to mess up their lives, and they end up thinking they’ve become no better than garbage.  In fact, some people have even ended their own lives because they’ve lost all hope in themselves.  But the good news is that there is a potential treasure in every life.  It doesn’t matter how much we have fouled things up or wrecked our own lives with sin, God can turn any life around and make something wonderful out of what was once worthless…including you!

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God’s first commandment was to multiply and subdue the earth.

Christ’s last commandment was to go into all the earth and make disciples.

These to commandments go together like chocolate and peanut butter.  What better way to make disciples than to raise your own children to love and obey God, and to teach them to teach their children and their children’s children and everyone they come in contact with?  If Christian parents would model the perfect love of God for their friends AND families, that whole Great Commission thing would be a snap.

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Did you ever wish you had super powers?  Did you ever imagine what it would be like to fly or bend steel with your bare hands or shoot lasers from your eyes?  If you could pick any one power, what would it be?  I think superheroes are cool.  I like Superman, the Incredible Hulk, the X-men, and just about all the rest.  And it’s been great to see technology get to the point where artists can make the amazing things they do on the movie screen look so real.  Big action movies like those where the good guys fight to save the world against evil are the best things to see at the theater!

So what if you could really be a superhero?  What would you do with your powers?  Would you use them for good or for evil—to save others or to serve yourself?  What if you really could have super powers?  What if you really did have a special ability written into your DNA or your spiritual make up?  What if you were meant to be the hero fighting to save the world from evil?

Well, maybe—just maybe, you are.  Listen to this and think about that idea:

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Jesus made a lot of claims about himself, and backed up his words with his actions.  On top of that a lot of the things we know about Jesus come through the prophesies that were fulfilled by him–how and where he was born, how he lived, how he died, and even coming back to life.  So the Bible is pretty clear about who Jesus is.

Now, thinking about all the different people who claim to believe in Jesus or to be his followers, can you really believe in Jesus if you don’t believe all the things that he said about himself or if your opinions about who you claim to follow don’t match up with the facts of Scripture?

In Matthew 7, Jesus said that on Judgment Day many people will claim to know him and will claim to have done great works in his name, but Jesus will say “Go away, I never knew you.”  The sad thing is it’s obviously religious people who will be making that claim because they will be telling of all the things they did for Jesus.  So just claiming to know Jesus and doing religious stuff won’t get you into Heaven.

I don’t know about you, but that’s a big motivator for me to make sure I know Jesus for real, for who he claims to be, and to focus on doing what he wants me to do and not just various religious acts.  Lots of people talk about having a relationship with Jesus.  Clearly having a relationship is more than just knowing somebody’s name or doing things in someones name.  So common sense would say, if you want a relationship with Jesus, don’t repeat some empty prayer and expect that will save you, but learn about who he is from what he said.  Then if you’re really willing to invest your life in a real relationship and maintain ongoing communication and caring (like you would for any other real life, love relationship), when Judgment Day comes, Jesus will recognize you and not have to say “Go away, I never knew you.”

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It’s not an Ordinary Nation.

The word ordain comes from the word order.  That’s what it means.  It can be like an order that a boss gives a worker or like putting things in alphabetical order.  When a church ordains a pastor.  They do a little of both.  That’s what happened to me.  My church made me a part of the leadership team along with other elders and deacons.  With a team committed to serving God with wisdom and humility the things that get done and the decisions that get made will be done with order and not disorder.  I also got orders from my Boss to step into this role and to serve the people of God’s church.  So I’m taking my orders to teach and to serve.  This talk is just a response to being assigned this new role.

But a pastor is just 1 role in the church.  Everybody in the church is supposed to be using their gifts to serve God as a team.  So what does it mean to serve God?  And how should we look at our own role as part of this team?

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Have you ever been asked to do something crazy?  I know people who do wild fun things just for the adrenaline rush.  But have you ever been in a situation where you really had to decide to stretch beyond your comfort zone for a bigger purpose?  It can be a tough decision to make.  This talk is about just that kind of dilemma.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 49:58 — 22.9MB)