Moving Forward

Moving Forward January 12, 2013 The truth is: People who make a difference in this world are people who get ahold of something and don’t quit!! Think about it, almost always (I am sure there are a few acceptations) but almost always the people changing the world have a single minded focus!! They hone in on one problem, one burden, one solution, one idea, and they don’t quit! Illustration: Take this knife and this sharpening steel! I have to pick an angle – about 30 dagrees, and pick a side and than stick with it! Same on the other side of blade, and I can get a razor sharp knife: Got ahold of one thing, and don’t quit I get a razor sharp blade ---- but, but Jump around switch angles, ---- you get the picture no razor sharp blade!! If you look at a list of the people who were most influential in the 20th century you will find this in common! They pretty much all had a single focus! They got ahold of something and didn’t quit! • Winston Churchill --- during the darkest hours of world war 2, is known for his focused, stubborn resistance of Evil – know as Hitler. • Nelson Mandela ---- single focus was racial equality • Martin Luther King Jr ---- racial equality "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood" • Opera Winfrey ----- One focus: Day time talk shows a single focus and a determination not to quit and she is probably the most influential woman that has ever lived so far • What does that James Dobsin guy focus on? Focus on the Family --- he has changed the world with one single minded focus!! • Mary the mother of Jesus ---- single minded focus obedience to God “Whatever you want of me, I am yours” The rest is His Story • Apostle Paul ---- His single focus was the love of God revealed through the cross!! That drove him ---- to travel a good portion of the known world preaching the gospel, plant churches and pen 13 of the 27 books of the new testament. Single focus and determined not to quite!! • Jesus --- His single minded focus was “The Mission.” To seek and save that which is lost. Now think back to what we preached about just a few weeks ago! To have a single driving desire ----- Jesus!! That has got to become our passion, our goal in life, the object of our desire, our pursuit!! If we can get to that place where we have tunnel vision and all we desire is Jesus and then we make up our mind no matter what we will keep moving forward!! Wow!! Make room Peter, Paul and John here comes more world changers!! To have a single driving desire ----- Jesus and a determination to keep going forward!! • The world may slander you and make fun of you but you will keep going forward! • Your family may make fun of you and not understand you but you will keep going forward! • Your circle of “Christian” friends may try to discourage you ------ aaaahhhh but you WILL go forward! • Life can get hard, ugly, and painful but you will keep going forward! Why? Cause you have a single driving desire ---- Jesus! My desire, the Holy Spirits desire and I know most of your desire is to be found by Jesus moving forward! Jesus told us to work while it is yet day, listen He wants to see us moving forward!! I want to help you today be able to move forward, no matter what!! Before I can do that you have got to get to the place where: To have a single driving desire ----- Jesus!! Is reality not just desire! That is who you are not just who you want to be That is your focus not your talk That is your passion not your leftovers That is the hunger we need, a single driving desire ----- Jesus! The truth is if you do not have a hunger and thirst like this you can work yourself into this type of desire!! • Real quick ---- lets review the four things I gave you that will help you do just that: • P Purpose • R Run after Him • A Allow Him to work in you • Y Yield to the Holy Spirits promptings If you make Him your single driving desire, and than apply these three things!! I am going to give you today: Like I said “World Changer!” So we get to a place where Jesus is our single desire “What Now?” We need to keep moving forward with Him!! I want to help you with that: Three things that can move you forward: • Relationship moves you forward • Retreats move you forward • Reward moves you forward Relationship moves you forward The biggest change for me coming out of the Roman Catholic church was that Christianity was not about religion but it was about relationship! That Jesus Christ did not want my service, religious duties, or my money He wanted me!! I tell people often when trying to share Christ with them, “It is not about religion it is about relationship.” Jesus says “Depart from me, I never knew you” Listen His desire is for you to be one of His!! He wants to know you! “Accept a man be “born again” scripture says: Nicodemus questions “can a man crawl back into his mothers womb?” Jesus gently chastises him “come on Nicky you are a man of the book you should know this” “That which is born of flesh is flesh and that which is born of spirit is spirit” I have noticed that if a baby is born into this crazy world and the mother are father do not take interest in that child, that child’s life immediately take a huge plummet in the statistical nightmare of a life of difficulty! A life of pain and confusion! A child born to humans or animals for that matter needs a relationship with its mother and father, that is the physiological truth! A child of God born into His Kingdom will need a relationship with The Father, Son and Holy Ghost and that is the spiritualogical truth!! (not a word – just made that up) All I am saying is Jesus Christ is still calling us to be with Him, to know Him, to be born again!! And guess what? A relationship will move you forward with Him. Blythe and I have a relationship and it moves me forward to maintain that and to take it forward in our quest for a good marriage! I like being with her, I work hard to make things happen so I can be with her! My relationship with Blythe makes me want more of that relationship! And and When we fight (usually her fault/ im just sayin) When we do fight nothing in life is right!! I mean when our relationship is not right because of her bullheaded, stubborn, mean streak yall know nothing about ---- (ok, ok its usually my fault) My point is our relationship drives me to make it right cause life aint good when it aint right! Let me bring this home and apply it to your life: When you have a relationship with Jesus Christ --- when you are genuinely born again! 1) If you make a mistake you want to make it right you want to say your sorry cause your relationship is hurt and when it aint right aint nothing right 2) You hunger for more of Him, when your with Him, you want to be with Him more! When He touches you --- man I want more of that!! Sadly however: Where there is a lack of relationship there is a lack of drive to live right and stay right! Not only relationship will move you forward, but also Retreats, retreats will move you forward! Come unto me – all you who are tired, weary and heavy laden --- for I, I will give you rest!!! We think of retreats as someone hollering retreat, retreat and a bunch of soldiers running to take cover as they are getting routed! Nothing can be further from the truth! A good military retreat can mean the difference between victory and defeat!! When the military retreats its not to surrender it is to re group and launch another offensive! Sometimes the enemy attacks, perhaps by surprise, perhaps you saw it coming but they hit harder than you thought and what you had planned it aint working! What do you do when your told to take that hill and your first plan didn’t work? Quit Give up Tell your country that hill wasn’t worth taking? No great countries were not forged that way!! You retreat, lick your wounds, cry over your loses and figure out what worked what didn’t work and what you need to do know and you go at it again!! Sometimes, actually often in your walk with God you need to say OK, I am giving to much ground to the enemy!! You need to retreat!! When your back is against the wall and you don’t feel like you have anywhere to go! Retreat!! When all hell is breaking lose around you and your senses, your flesh, and your mind tell you to quit ----- retreat!! Run to the Arms of your savior Run into the wings of your protector. Run into the safety of your mighty fortress Run to your advisor Run to the one who makes a way where there is no way! Run to the one who will fight your battles for you Run to Jesus!!!!! Retreat and it will help you move forward!! Twila Paris was a popular singer when I first got saved and she sang this song, that perfectly illustrates what I am saying: Lately I've been winning battles left and right But even winners can get wounded in the fight People say that I'm amazing Strong beyond my years But they don't see inside of me I'm hiding all the tears They don't know that I go running home when I fall down They don't know who picks me up when no one is around I drop my sword and cry for just a while 'Cause deep inside this armor The warrior is a child Unafraid because His armor is the best But even soldiers need a quiet place to rest People say that I'm amazing Never face retreat But they don't see the enemies That lay me at His feet They don't know that I go running home when I fall down They don't know who picks me up when no one is around I drop my sword and and cry for just a while 'Cause deep inside this armor the warrior is a child Relationship, retreats, and Reward, you have to have reward in mind! Yes your relationship will move you forward Retreats will move you forward And friends Reward will move you forward! Paul said it this way: Philippians 3:14 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Hebrews says fixing our eyes on Jesus that is how we run the race!! Look up the bible says your redemption is drawing near!! Over and over we are told and called to keep our eyes on heaven, keep our eyes on Jesus, keep our eyes on the reward! We can endure any how if we know the why!! Nietchie says!! Listen the why – the why we do what we do!! Is to go to heaven and miss hell!! I don’t know about you but I aint gonna fool myself into thinking I am doing this thing called Christianity for some noble reason that has a lofty little tune to it and makes me sound a bit more spiritual than I really am!! I don’t want to go to hell I do want to go to heaven!! Heaven is real and hell is hot!! Rewards will move you forward!!! Keep your eyes on the reward, keep your eyes on the goal, keep your eyes on the prize!! Well done though good and faithful servant, enter though into thy rest!! That is my five year plan, my vision for the future, my 10 year plan and my goal for tomorrow!! That is my desire, my destiny, and my determination Where do you want to be in five years mmmmmm “Well done thy good and faithful servent enter though into thy rest” Where do you want First Assembly of God to be at the end of 2013? “Well done thy good and faithful servent enter though into thy rest” What is your lifes goal? “Well done thy good and faithful servent enter though into thy rest” What do you want your kids to learn? “Well done thy good and faithful servent enter though into thy rest” I want to keep my eyes on the reward --- for it moves me forward!! Maybe you’re a bit more spiritual than I am I don’t know, but it moves me!! I am driven by rewards: You want me to work hard, offer me a paycheck Tell me I am doing a good job Give me a bonus to work for You want me to read a book --- give me a reward! You can kid yourself and say your not driven by rewards, chances are that is not true!! I think truth be know we are all driven by rewards!! Because of the value in moving forward, the absolute necessity to the Kingdom of God that we move forward, and because of Jesus desire that we move forward every believer should and can apply these three areas to their lives and make sure they are moving forward! • Relationship moves you forward • Retreats move you forward • Reward moves you forward Altar

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