Leave Not Thy Place

-Thomas the apostle was mid way down the list of apostles and clearly the most significant (in terms of recorded history) were named first and the least liked was named last.
-Thomas was named after the resurrection of Jesus a number of times, but the order he was named in changed
-Where God names us and the order of significance he gives us is important. We cannot say we don't need each other
-However, we do say we don't need the position God has given us and therefore forfeit the power therein and the opportunity to be promoted.
-We feel abandoning our post will accomplish something
-what God has for me it is for me.

Scriptures

John 20:19-29
Genesis 40:1-5, 13-14 41:8-9
John 21:1-4
Romans 8:38-39
Ecclesiastes 10:4

Sermon sequence

1. The two causes of forfeiting our position... highs and lows.
       -God's given you a part, and he can change your name to fit that part
       -We feel abandoning our post will accomplish something
       -Thomas wasn't there the first time and then tried to dictate the terms of his faith
2. We need storage of God's word to make it through the temptation to leave our position
       -But when God does speak, you need to go into sponge mode
       -Sometimes we were collecting things in storage when we didn't realize what it was for
       -Why did God have to tell Joseph twice that his brothers would humble themselves to him?
3. Jesus' resurrection was for us to believe and be renewed/upgraded in belief
4. We can find ourselves back-slidden, but we need to remember our position and God will resurrect us to it.
*Palm Sunday is God saying, this place is mine and I haven't abdicated off the throne
*It's time you told the Lord "I haven't forgotten you and I remember what you have for me to do"

Hands of revelation

Mark 6:1-6
John 1:6-18
Romans 8:18-25
Isaiah 53:1-2,10-12
Luke 24:27-35

1. To reveal something is to point it out and demonstrate it. it was already there... you're just revealing it.
2. Our hands have the ability to transmit intellect or understanding.
     -consecration
     -sacrifice
     -healing
     -resurrection
     -correction/smiting
     -blessing
     -anointing of the Holy Ghost, hand of God
3. We can sit on our hands because we are trying to save ourselves and promote ourselves (and that leads to anger and abuse of our neighbor). Lift Jesus and reveal him.

*Altar call:
-your hands were specially designed to reveal God to this world that doesn't recognize him.
-They might say they do... but they don't recognize God.
-Think of somebody you know that doesn't recognize God (like you do). And extend yourself. Reach out to them in skill and sacrifice, and when they say ah... now I see... don't abuse them for it, they will reveal it in turn.

Faith Tried In God's Mouth

Matthew 8:5-12
Hebrew's 11:4-6
Psalms 51:15-19
Genesis 4:3-8
1. Faith toward God is so fundamental to what's going on with us that if we don't understand it, we are seriously stunted.
2.When your in the mouth of God, you're getting shifted around a bit
          -God has a very discerning pallet
          -sacrifice has to be by faith
          -God knows what pleases him
          -Lack of growth on our faith doesn't please God
3. We are so quick to misdirect our faith that we will put on our lucky socks
4. Altar call: we need to grow in our faith. Those things that disturb us, should either not do that, or we need movement on a plan to solve it.

The Fulfilment of Law of Faith

Luke 24:44-53
Romans 3:27-31
Luke 4:20-23

-Faith by itself is not an action but a confidence, therefore for faith to even have a law implies some action (or restraint from action).
-Some people you can do wonders for, but they will not accept your faith because they treasure their own. Physician heal thyself.
-We need to always check with God and not turn our faith into our deeds
-The destination of the Christian faith is so great that we need to stay tuned to get it because it is too great to reveal to us who are holding on to competing faiths
-We get a little from God, and we are to take that little and grow it, not destroy it. But when we think we have much and yet be afraid we're going to lose it.
-The methodist seeks for a method but is the faith in the method rather than the method giver

1. Certain things in our life require a fulfillment process and while we wait we work to believe further
          -Perfection being the fulfillment
2. We need God to help us understand what we already thought we knew and bring it together.
          -It's not only scripture, but its real life events and experiences
          -God starts in smallness but expects us to treat small right
3. Our faith can become tied up in ritual and Jesus was getting ready to leave his disciples. The disciples then had to turn the direction God pointed them in
         -The methodist can turn all their faith toward the method and miss the revision (bike revelation)
4. Alter call: some of us have given up on an experience we don't understand. But God intended it to work with your faith and bring it and your faith to perfection/fulfillment.
          -Peter wept bitterly

Approval rating

-We can try desperately to receive the approval of certain people and only receive marginal gains
-The gains we do receive if we do get their approval will go to God's plan for those of us who have submitted the unfolding events of our lives to the will of God.
-Approval gets us a reaction against our adversaries and adversities, approval is a widening of the door of petition
-But people love the praises of men more than God's praises.
-Paul had to exceed the pharisees, the religious elite. There can be one person in our lives God puts there to say, now do better than them or get past them
Acts 23:1-11
John 12:40-43
Matthew 5:20
1. when you have something to say, not every ear is in the right place to receive it
2. seeking approval from certain places is a hard habit to break. Even leadership might not have your approval certificate.
3. Getting approval from an invisible God.
4. You will begin to accomplish more when you can say and do despite being rejected. then you are sowing abundantly. so the investment of affection doesn't seem like its returning... so what... is God with you?

Making the point

Acts 19:1-10,14-16,23-28
John 1:15,19-27
-We need to know there are some areas of our faith that need work
-There are places God is looking to go in our lives, and he takes the humble way to get there
-Even hearing a sermon, there is a overtaking that has to go on that God has to do to prevail upon our hearts.
-Our confidence in everything contrary to God has to be broken down (vain imaginations)
-Sometimes we've made the point and we're still spending our time trying to get extra credit
-John the baptist said "this is he... of whom"
-Rome couldn't handle what was inside what they conquered
-The slave girl mad the point to Naaman the leper

• speak to the rock
• speak to the devil
• speak to the challenge

1. highlight the significance of the area and even the epistle
2. Place it in the context of Paul's missionary journeys
3. When we speak we want to make the point
4. The anointing the Paul had to make the point is available for you today

Characters:
-Paul
-John
-Naaman
-Joshua

Love & Food

John 6:48-5
-Again John gives many great "I AM" statements as a way to describe Jesus.
-we have gone from feeding the multitude bread and fish, to feeding them human flesh and blood. But ultimately this is our communion with God and eachother
-your diet is your strength, not your natural diet... but what you watch, listen too and talk about.