2016 Sparklers

As I did for the preceding years, herewith key extracts from 2016 sermons at Common Ground Church Durbanville.

It is impossible to have courage without first being thrust into challenging circumstances.

Adopt a position of humility, and ask God to shape and guide you.

Stop merely intending to do something and simply take action and get on with it. The graveyard is a very rich place, because it is filled with unfulfilled ambitions and potential.

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Our motivation should be the approval of God, as you cannot live for the approval of God and of people at the same time. You need to decide where your priorities and identity are.

God is impossible to please if we are living for the approval of others; otherwise God is very easy to please, as all He desires is that we seek our approval from Him.

God didn’t create the world to have suffering in it; that is why we feel that suffering is not right.

For God to remove the consequences of sin, He would have to eliminate choice. For God to remove the cause of sin, He would have to eliminate you and me.

The fire of the trials we go through purifies us, strengthens our character and makes us better people. It shapes us.

The power of sin is in its secrecy. Just like mould grows in the dark, so our sin grows when hidden. Admit your sin and ask for help. Don’t pretend all is okay.

Practise unconditional love, not conditional on people’s behaviour or attitudes. Condemning is to blame and criticize in such a way that you cut them off from experiencing the truth. Try to qualify people, not condemn them; seek how you can help them.

We must realise that our sin is against the infinite, almighty, holy God of all creation, and the enormity hereof often escapes us. Sin against an infinite God is worthy of infinite punishment. Without the doctrine of hell, we become lukewarm and half-hearted Christians. If you lose the doctrine of hell, you feel that sin is not so serious, and that Christ’s sacrifice on the cross wasn’t necessary. Guard against this and rather devote yourself to serving and thanking God.

Because God is real, it is inevitable that He says and does things you won’t agree with. It is the gap between being mortal and being immortal, and this takes us off our pedestal of playing god.

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Ladder-climbing: as you become fanatical, you think you become more morally perfect, and then you look down at people who you feel are your moral inferiors. The gospel is not about meeting God at the top of the ladder, but rather at the foot of the cross.

Don’t climb the ladder that is leaning against the wrong wall. Live in orbit around what God is doing in the world.

We need to learn to walk with instead of walking over others, i.e. we should care for others and not use them to get ahead in life. We should learn what we can give versus what we can get from others.

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We are called in order to be sent to share Jesus’ mercy and kindness with others. People who are far from God are seldom looking for Him and therefore we as Christ-followers should be outward-looking to help others to find Christ.

We should be open and honest about some of the things we struggle with so that others can see how natural our faith is in our lives. Be honest and be yourself. In engaging non-believers, we should not focus on conversion, nor force the conversation, but rather listen and allow the Holy Spirit to guide the conversation. Respect where people are in their journey: as we respect people, this act opens doors to tell them more.

There are both personal and intellectual objections people use for not believing. We should answer people gently and provide resources to show them that their objections do not close the door to them exploring further.

In John 1:50-51 Jesus mentions to Nathaniel how he supernaturally has been watching and pursuing him. In so doing, He makes Himself real to Nathaniel. This shows how Jesus works in people’s hearts and this clarifies for us that the pressure is off us, as we cannot change people’s hearts, and so we cannot actually convert people ourselves; only God can actually do that.

No matter how disqualified, alone or anonymous you feel, He is seeking you.

Let people know how much they matter to God.

Get spiritual conversations going. Share some of how God plays such a large and vital role in your life, and how He influences and shapes your life, thoughts, decisions and principles. Ask, Listen and Share. Ask other people what they believe about things, then listen and engage in their lives, giving them dignity and then share when they ask about your life and beliefs. God uses our ‘clumsy little’ contributions to do incredible and significant things in other people’s lives.

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We sing because God has hard-wired music into our souls. Grace flows towards us as we worship God. Singing provokes our heart and we experience feelings.

We should both sing what we believe and believe what we sing.

Sing out of deep affection and devotion to God to avoid missing out on a significant part of Christ-following.

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As God is busy drawing people to Himself, He is also drawing and building them towards one another. We call this the local church. The local church is a game changer in your walk.

Vitality is something God wants for your life, but you can miss out on it. John 10:7-10

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The outpouring of the Holy Spirit is a conscious, supernatural, wonderful and heightened experience of the presence and power of God repeatedly and generously given to both individuals and gathered believers as a gift, over and above salvation.

When we live by the Spirit deliberately, we will fulfill Moses’ laws accidentally.

The Holy Spirit doesn’t go against the ‘old law’, but rather incorporates and outclasses it (as in the example of a computer and a typewriter).

It is important to note that God loves you as you are, and you don’t have to change yourself morally and ethically and behaviourally - He comes into your life and transforms it via the Holy Spirit.

We need to note that no change is possible if we are not open to it and do not participate in the change. Also, we cannot rely on God to do everything. “Let go and let God” does not work – we need to do our part and play our role actively cooperating with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit’s wind blows in our life, but we need to put up and adjust our sails in order to harness His wind, and in so doing we work together.

The Holy Spirit empowers us to trust God and love people rather than responding negatively. The Holy Spirit is given to us to face challenges head on instead of running away from them.

Misery, bitterness and anger are the result of you trying to ‘go it alone’ – rather allow the Holy Spirit to help you and walk with you along life’s journey.

We need God’s grace to change. God is more into your transformation than you are. His love will smelt your heart into the shape He wants you to become. The knowledge of His goodness and glory is the melting power for your heart.

When your heart starts to change, your motivations start to change. Say ‘no’ to stuff that isn’t serving Him and your growth.

He loves you too much to leave you the way you are. God’s promises start to change us as we grow in knowledge of them. God’s promises give us power to escape some things and to participate in others.

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James 4:7 advises us to “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Resist, and, in so doing, escape temptation. Psalm 63:3 “Because your love is better than life…” Focus on God’s love and diffuse disappointment and disillusionment.

No matter what your status or stature or level of gifting is, be content with whatever God blesses you with, because He says in 2 Peter 1:3 that it is enough for you. Trust Him accordingly.

He might not always give what you want, but He will give what you need.

God may point you in a direction, but He seldom gives certainty or clarity about the future. God knows, but He only tells us at the appointed time. He takes us on a roller coaster ride but keeps us strapped in safely.

God has not and could not forget you – He never grows tired or weary. When life weakens you, He provides inner strength.

Because of grace, courage comes into our lives to help us get through its challenges.

If you have concerns about the extent of God’s capabilities, maybe your view of God is too small or limited.

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In prayer we allow ourselves to feel something of what God feels, and in prayer we look to the One who is greater than the need.

In prayer, (a) access to God is given, (b) the Holy Spirit comes into people’s lives and works within them, and (c) the Father speaks to us.

Don’t worry or strategise your way through a problem; rather pray to the One who has all the information and the solution.

Don’t ask Jesus to bless your plans; rather ask Him to reveal His plans for you and guide you according to His purposes.

Proverbs 15:31 “Whoever heeds life-giving correction will be at home among the wise.” Even an enemy can highlight something you need to address in your life.

Build your life on the rock of Jesus and it will last through the storms of life. Retain Jesus’ words to sustain us and put His words into action, even through only small degrees of change at a time. Don’t just feel moved, actually move to change your lifestyle and habits to be transformed by Him.

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Don’t be controlled by anger or let it get the better of you. Don’t let anger take over so that there is no place for God in the situation. Satan will take the smallest foothold and blow it out of proportion.

God is not mad at you, He is mad about you, and He wants to declare war on the competition (enemy) that is causing hardship in your life.

There is a connection between the pursuit of wealth and the level of your anxiety – the less you have or the more that is involved, the more anxious you are.

We make time for stuff we value, and so we should thus make time for God’s Word. Reflect on what you read and ask God to clarify how it applies to your life.

Partner in something or serve somewhere, as this is where you build friendships through shared experiences and common journeys together, where you find you need each other along the way.

The path to spiritual maturity is giving rather than getting. Learning to serve can help you learn how to lead.

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Living with no restrictions, or ‘life without limits’ are today’s definitions of freedom. This is very shallow and superficial, as it means doing what you want, when you want, how you want, and that leads to shallowness and pain. Becoming good at music requires commitment, focus and dedicated practice over time that entails restrictions on one’s activities, but it pays off in becoming a master musician who is free to express himself with improvisation off the foundation of sound knowledge and principles of music, rather than just making noise. True freedom involves the appropriate restrictions in your life to allow you to maximize your life. A fish needs water to survive, so it cannot live outside of water even if it feels the water is restrictive. The bible will teach me about how God’s love for me will lead me to a good life to live. God so loves His creation that He invites us to learn the way He intended for everything in our lives to work for maximum joy, effect and fulfillment.

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Your inability to love those who make themselves your enemy is the sign of the extent to which God’s love hasn’t gripped or entangled your heart.

God’s irrational, unconditional love for us empowers us to love others who make themselves our enemies.

Being loving towards someone does not mean you are being a doormat, but rather it means being committed to helping them become the best they can be even when they are resisting it.

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In the bible, blessedness has a close approximation to joy. Blessedness represents a joyful experience for someone who follows God (joy, peace and delight).

We are blessed in order to be a blessing to others through loving them, doing good for them, and telling them about Jesus. Grace and mercy from God give you the impetus, energy, gifts, power and love to bless others.

You cannot drift or work your way into salvation. You need to participate in taking a conscious, deliberate decision to repent and surrender to God when He calls you through His Holy Spirit.

Remember that the sun continues to shine above the gloomy clouds when it is overcast or raining. God is eternally present and life-giving (warm love).

Go BIG.

Identify your central governing ambition that shapes all of your other ambitions. Find an ambition that entails becoming something, rather than doing things: increasingly resemble Jesus in your life and ways. God’s holy ambition is to conform you and I into the image of Jesus (Romans 8).

Go WIDE.

2 Corinthians 5:1-10 “…whether we are home or away…” We must aim to please God in this life and in the eternal life hereafter, i.e. in time and space, and generational/across generations, and across all cultures. Let your family grow up under the shade of your gospel tree. Expand your horizons to include all peoples; stretch your relational range and become multi-cultural.

Go DEEP.

V9b “…we make it our aim (ambition) to please him.” Do what the scripture says; don’t be selective or play dodgems with certain aspects thereof. Man’s delays are man’s denials. God’s delays are God’s plans and timing. Be generous, even if it means scaling back on how much you spend on yourself versus on others. Be like Jesus in the way He sacrificed Himself for the benefit of others. Recalibrate our personal and economic ambitions to be like His. Being radical should be the norm for us (cut to the root).

Go HIGH.

V10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” Don’t seek to be legitimized by what you have done, but rather by the person you have become – like Christ.