Sunday VT – 03/01/2015

Click here to listen to the service or Download as MP3 (right click & save as):

Speakers:

Steve Atherton
Megan Atherton

Scriptures used:

Ecclesiastes 3:1
Matthew 18:1-3
Proverbs 3:5-6
James 1:2-4
Colossians 3:16

Subject:

The seasons are very distinct here in Vermont, and it is a wonderful thing to have those changes.
The difference between me and my children, is they play with gusto, they grab the wrong things and learn how the play the game, they don’t care how many times they fall, they just get up and play it again. Me, on the other hand, I come with my own understanding. I don’t just play it and learn about it. It’s like the walk of faith. Except ye be converted and become as little children ye cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. When you’re young, you have the intense enthusiasm to learn. That’s how we should be with the Lord. Be ready to fall. And count it all joy!
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not on your own understanding. Be thankful for the chance and get up again and do it again. That’s how we learn, leaving our own understanding aside.
Except ye be converted: you thought you knew what you were doing, and when you’re converted you realize you didn’t, and go back to the Lord, and ask His forgiveness. When you ask Him into your heart, all the rules that have governed your life change.
We already think we know how to do things. Brother Steve knew how to be an attorney in the world, but no idea how to be an attorney in the Lord. He had extraordinary confidence against those he came against in court, and was extremely successful before he came to the Lord. When he came to the Lord, the rules changed! He had no confidence in himself. On his way to a hearing in Chelsea, he cried out to the Lord for help. He was terrified. He was embarrassed when he spoke, and didn’t make any sense, but the Judge granted his motion anyway. He came back from that hearing joyfully praising God.
When Steve studied for the bar exam, he wanted to know about Jesus, and asked the Lord to bring to remembrance everything he needed for the test. He didn’t know anything about two of the three questions in the bar exam. But he knew the Lord knew the answers. So Steve started writing, and passed the bar exam with the Lord giving him what to write.
Whatever you do, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus. That’s really important. When you ask anything in my name, I shall give it unto you. My only hope is in Christ Jesus, and He answered my prayer in Chelsea, because I did it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.
When you walk in the resurrected body of the Lord by faith, in every aspect of your life, and not by sight, then now you can ask anything in His name and it shall be given unto you. If you want to be a good employee, employer, parent, etc. Ask and ye SHALL receive. Don’t lean unto your own understanding. If you don’t, Christ will have nothing to do with you. You would be on your own.
Children see you and me walking and talking, running, etc. They want to do them too. The fact that they fall down doesn’t matter, they get up again. Translate that to your walk of faith. As a Christian you have to accept the responsibility that, how can anyone know that Christ is real if you don’t accept the responsibility to show them?
We don’t like being differentiated from the crowd. Christ was different! So if you’re going to walk in Christ you’re going to be different. People are going to say things about you that are not too savory. Jesus was called a glutton and a winebibber. Those things were not true about Him. He was spoken evil of all the time.
The other thing you have to do, is if you see someone walking it out, you cleave to them and learn from them. It’s not a natural thing, it’s very different. If you’re going to do that, you will need help. Jesus took 12 ordinary guys, and taught them. It’s called discipleship. He asked them to make disciples of all nations; that means make disciples of people from all nations. If they don’t hear, move on to the next person. If people want to hear, praise God. If not, praise God. They may hear it later on. Don’t take it so personally.
I don’t care what you have done. The Lord is bigger than anything you have done. Go forward in Christ Jesus and whatever you do in Christ Jesus, He will honor that and be with you.