Myspace or His space
MEAFORD YOUTH RALLY
MYSPACE OR HIS-SPACE?
Saturday Morning, February 28, 2009
Reading: 1John 2:1-6
INTRO:
- What are we talking about this weekend? What does it mean to be online with our Lord?
- To be “online with our Lord” we must know our Lord. Last night we talked about Facebook – God’s profile. We took just a few minutes to see God, what God might put on His facebook. God is too big to limit to just a few minutes so I chose to look at his most glaring characteristic, that being love!
- So, to be “online with our Lord” we need to know who God is and I hope we saw last night a glimpse of God, His character and to begin to see who you can be in Him.
- This morning, we are going to switch gears a little and see our role in the eyes of God. How does God view us? Who or what are we living for? What are we all about? Is your life being governed by someone greater than yourself and finally, if we want to be “online with our Lord” what it takes for us to be there?
I. WHO OR WHAT ARE YOU LIVING FOR?
· Actions are greater than words
o If you have a MySpace or facebook account, what does it look like? Is it all about you? What you like, dislike, your favorite music ect?
o If I looked at your page, could I tell you were a Christian by the pictures I saw, the movies you watched, the music you listened to or the words used in conversation?
o Being online with God is not a part-time job you can leave when you want; it is a full-time job that has high expectations.
o Too often, we think we can separate the world from the spiritual. You can try, but it is impossible. As Christians we are spiritual beings in the world.
o We are to be in the world but not of the world (John 17: 13-20, Eph. 2:12). What does this mean?
· We bring glory to God (Matt. 5:13-16; 1 Cor. 10:31; Eph. 3:13-19; Philippians. 4:19)
· Stay away from even the appearance of evil (1 Thess. 5:22)
o I hear all too often, “Jesus spent time with the sinners”.
· We are to be different from the world (Eph. 5:1-14, 1 Pt. 1:11, 2:9-12)
o Do we try to be different or do we try to get as close as we can without crossing that line?
o We spend more time trying to be culturally relevant, rather than the way of Jesus and His disciples – counter-cultural.
o I hear all too often “We are to become all things to all people.” (1 Cor. 9:19-23). What was Paul meaning?
II. IT’S ABOUT GIVING UP AND GIVING IN…TO HIM!
A. Dictionary Says: Sacrifice: “to give up; let go; something offered; the surrender or destruction of something valued for the sake of something else.”
1. It is about saying “no” to “me”, and “yes” to “you”
2. ILLUS: Sacrifice bunt/hit in baseball
…But it is more…
B. Sacrifice Implies Giving Our Best
1. Levitical Priests – were required to find animal “without defect to sacrifice – see Leviticus 1-3
2. Christians offer the “best” we have to offer. It is acceptable to God through Jesus Christ the “lamb of God (John 1:29). The One “without blemish or defect”(1Peter 1:18-19)
C. Sacrifice Has to Be according To God’s Commands and it has to be the very best!
1. Cain and Abel – Genesis 4
2. Saul and the Amalekites – 1 Samuel 15:1-9,15-23,
D. Sacrifice and Serving Go Together
(So sacrifice is about none of “me” and all of you. It is not a sacrifice if it is of no worth to you. It is something of value that you give up for someone or something else.)
II JESUS AND SACRIFICE
A. It Was About Others
1. Matt. 5:3-12 – the beatitudes
2. Matt. 8:1-4 – healing of the leper.
3. Gal.6:2 – bearing each others burdens.
B. The Ultimate Sacrifice
1. Where did Jesus reside before He came to earth?
2. Why did He leave heaven to come here?
· ILLUS. – Lisa Landry Childress.
3. Look at this man
· Phil. 2:8 – obedient to the point of death
· Hebrews 12:2,3 – endured the cross for us
· Eph.5:2 – Jesus gave Himself up for us “as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
(Jesus’ life was based on others. What others needed or even wanted (in some cases). Look at this Man, see the sacrifice He went through for you, me, and all mankind. He is our sweet smelling sacrifice to God.)
III. WHAT ABOUT US?
A. What About Me?
1. Selfishness exposed (Lk17:7-10)
2. What will it cost me?
· “Wait a minute! Don’t you realize what I’ve already done for you, working my hands to the bone out in your fields? I’m exhausted. If you really cared for me, you wouldn’t ask me to do more.”
· I recognize this attitude in myself. You?
3 How will it benefit me?
· “Hang on! Didn’t you even notice all my hard work? The presentation? The extras I added? The least you could do is go out of your way to acknowledge what I’ve done!”
· do we want to be noticed and appreciated for all that we do?
4. God knows what we need
· A resentful heart reveals one concern: What about me? When asked, exposes false service.
· Ps. 35:27
B. In Our Relationships With Others
1. Sometimes it will mean swallowing our pride and taking a loss (1Cor.6:7)
2. It may mean doing things even when you really don’t understand why you do them.
3.
4.
C. In Our Worship To God
· “I didn’t get much out of church today.” Does the Bible ever suggest you should go to church for the reason of receiving? Think about it
· Always people who check out the church page shopper/hoppers to find out who’s playing, They silently inquire, “Where do they have the best music?” “Which church will give me the greatest blessing?” “Where do they have the most dynamic speaker?”
· These have merit, which is not the question. The point is: “Am I approaching the subject of worship with the intent of receiving or giving?” (Matt. 6:1-18)
1. Definition of Worship
· English word – “To ascribe worth or value to someone or something; to give honour as to a superior being.”
· When we worship God we acknowledge His superior worth- Ps.96:1-9; 99:9
· Bible word – “prostrating oneself before another.”(Gen.27:29; Matt2:2)
· The other word(s) tell of service as in Gen.29:18 – “I will serve(“work” in NIV) seven years” and also in Phil. 3:3
· Sometimes both words are used together as in Matt. 4:10
2. Worship involves sacrifice
· Noah – Gen.8:20 – “Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and …he sacrificed burnt offerings on it”
· Levitical Priests – Heb. 5:1…”Every High Priest is…appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices for sin…”
· Christians – We are still offering gifts because we are a holy priesthood. ”You also like living stones are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ- 1Peter2:5
D. The End Result
…If we had a sacrificial walk and were more intent on living in His-space and not MySpace…
1. No one would be in need
2. You will be trampled by ungrateful recipients of your giving.
3. You will be taken advantage of
4. We would have INCREDIBLE times of worship
5. The world would see people who were very concerned about them.
E. Love
This is what it all comes down to. The sacrifice, the worship, the glory… In order to be in His Space, the space of the One Who is Love, we must LOVE. We must also become LOVE! That’s what all these things should be wrapped up in.
CONCLUSION:
· How are you walking?
· Will this walk be easy? NO!
· Will you be alone? NO!
· “FOOTPRINTS”
In March of 1991, Lisa Landry Childress (daughter of Tom Landry) found out she had a malignant tumor on her liver. This was just two months after she and her husband, Gary, had learned she was pregnant. The doctors counseled her to undergo an abortion so she could begin immediate chemotherapy. She rejected the thought of abortion, even though it meant she would most certainly die. She and her husband had for years tried to have a baby. On December 20, 1991, after the baby was born, Mrs. Childress said, "This baby was a blessing; a gift to me. It wasn't my right to deny this gift." She lived three years and nine months after receiving a liver transplant, but the legacy of her love and sacrificial gift of life will live forever.
* "The Power of Love," Jack Graham, Prestonwood Baptist Church, June 11, 1995