Sunday VT – 10/27/2013

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Speakers:

• Steven Atherton
• Megan Atherton

Scriptures used:

• John 13: 34-35
• Galatians 5:22-23
• John 15: 12-15
• Luke 8: 26
• Mark 5:1

Subject:

• It was very good to be in Texas, take time to listen to the recordings from there.
• We left Texas now need to put into practice what we learned.
• We need to think about the songs we sing:  “This is the day” – Yesterday is gone, all the past is gone, hold onto the mercy of the Lord which is new for this day.  “Now is the time to worship”, – we always come just as we are – every time!   “I’ve been redeemed”, – not by falling short but by the blood of the Lamb!  “Get all excited” – we can tell everybody using our voice and without it by showing it so people can ask us why we have joy under our circumstances and you can say because of your love of Jesus.  “Lift Jesus higher” – we can do this only when we choose to put ourselves down by humbling ourselves.
• Fruit of the Spirit is love, an attribute which we need to have one for another among others mentioned are joy, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance.
• The Spirit is cleaned by the Word.
• A good soldier lays down his life for a friend literally even when it’s inconvenient putting others before self.  There are many opportunities every day to lay down your life for your spouse, your children, your friends.  This does not mean it feels good but you choose to do it anyway.
• Listen and learn from what was said in Texas.  (Re-listen)
• If you came back and felt bad, a failure, remember you have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, you have not had to shed the blood, Jesus did it!!
• Count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations.
• The song says “Step by step we’re moving forward” but if you feel you are not gaining ground but feel you are losing, that can be your flesh you are losing; if you are reducing your strength and it is not enough you will learn to lean on Jesus who said “without me you can do nothing.”   Shed confidence in yourself for a new found confidence in Christ beginning with the blood of the Lamb.  Nothing redeems us but the blood of Jesus, it is humbling.  Our strength is made perfect in weakness, nothing saved us but the blood of the Lamb.
• Lost confidence in self and what we can do and have confidence in the blood of the lamb in pleasing humility and that is how to glorify Him in what Jesus has done not in what we have done.  This is the testimony to others – what Jesus can do for others to experience life transforming power too.
• He loved us first – we receive from Him now we love others.
• We are called to be ministers but not to let that intimidate us.  Richard does not like preaching in front of a crowd but we are all thankful that he does.  Your testimony will grow as you talk among friends.  It is easy to talk about what you know so we need to exercise our love of God to know Him well to be able to talk to people.  By regular interaction in ministry we know the Lord and what He can do to we speak from our own experience.
• In an army there is order of command it takes one branch to refuse to obey for a failed mission and it is the same in the church order of command.
• It takes extreme humility to not justify and to hate evil.  When the seed of love is planted it needs to take root.
• A soldier who had given the Gospel to others in the army, threw himself on a live grenade and was blown up and died but all in his group were saved through that action of his.   That was literally giving up his life for his friends one of whom we know was led to salvation through this act of his.
• Who wants to be a friend of God?   I hope not in respect of you have arrived!  The way is to do whatsoever he tells you.  An employee gets promoted only when he is obedient so it is with God too.  When you show you are trust-worthy God will trust you to pass on to others exactly as He said to those he sets you over otherwise it would be chaotic!  It is critical to be trustworthy.
• It is not the man but the devil that said: “torment me not” so it is important for us to discern what is going on when we speak to a person.  It was not the desire of the man to be in this state, he was in prison and his prison-keeper was the devil.   The witnesses were terrified and sent Jesus away- they had not seen such things happen before.  Jesus told the man to stay there and tell what great things God had done for him and as a result Jairus’ daughter was raised from the dead and the woman with the issue of blood were healed in that very area.
• Jeanne had been told if she did not know the answer to tell people she would tell them she would find out and let them know.This is the right thing to do because it is humbling and real and people can relate to it.   People could contribute the spirit of drunkenness to her while she acknowledged Jesus making Him real and the Bible true and them accountable.   They could then react in fear and prefer bliss which stinks or have a new way of living beginning in mess and faults like an untrained infant.   We have to let patience have her perfect work as we learn.  Others may laugh at us or we may feel bad but we have a Father in heaven and people here to help us.  The tipping point turns up in respect of their hearing or testifies against not wanting to hear, you can’t get hung up or take it personally – you have a new family (Brother) people outside see the difference is worth getting and open the door to receive.
• Were you a scorner before?  I was.  Have patience with them and see others come in because of the seeds of love you’ve planted.