“Pursue
After It”
By Tom Hanson
April 3rd,
2011
Click here to download printable sermon
notes in pdf format.
Introduction:
“Pursue After It” is the theme of this month’s messages and Bible
studies. Matthew
6:33 says, “Seek ye
first the Kingdom
of God,
and His righteousness…” The best thing that I can tell you
this morning
is that Jesus is the “It” that we are to be pursuing after. Jesus is
the “It”
factor. Now, today’s message will focus on the idea that pursuing after
Jesus
is personal, powerful, and possible. But let’s not limit where God can
take you
this month as we search out this theme of “Pursue After it.” Whatever
God has
for us is going to take some – or a lot – of spiritual and/or physical
pursuit
on our parts. Even from His first days of public ministry, pursuit was
part of
the expectation. In Matthew
7:7, Jesus said, “…seek
and ye shall find…” This
isn’t a game to God; He wants to be
found. He isn’t
teasing us. In
fact, he is a jealous God, and He will be
furious if we don’t find Him.
I.
Pursuit Is Personal:
Matthew
4:17-22
…they immediately left
the ship and their father, and followed Him.
How
did this
really happen? John Baptist, who was called after what he did, prepared
the way
for Jesus. He said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin
of the
world.” He handing off the baton. He said that he was not worthy to
baptize
Jesus, but Jesus said, “Suffer
it to be so now...”
Jesus got baptized as an example to us. He humbled Himself, this
sinless man,
to be baptized. Afterward, God spoke from Heaven and said, “This is my
beloved
Son...” These fishermen that Jesus called; there was no conversation to
speak
of, but they left their nets, left their father, left their lives, and
followed
this man, God manifest in the flesh. Jesus makes it personal. He seeks
and
speaks to every one of us today as well (John
4:23). He died on the cross for all of us. He will personally
compel us to
follow Him, and His works will personally catch peoples’ interest as
well to
pursue after Him.
Matthew
4:23-25
…they brought unto Him
all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments…
Jesus
was in
this world. One of His first concerns was to see the needs of these
people met;
in healings, in food, etc. Note: A group of people came here today and
the only
reason is the voice of Jesus compelled you or the fame of Jesus drew
you. Jesus
is altogether worth pursuing after.
Apostle
Paul was
all about souls. He crucified the flesh to pursue his personal calling. It was his personal
mission to spread the
Gospel and to see lost should come to the knowledge of Christ.
II.
Pursuit Is Powerful:
Acts
9:1-8
…suddenly there shined
round about him a light from heaven…
Paul
was a power
player. He thought he was doing the right thing, but God had another
plan.
Parrish Lee shared recently about a car accident that he had. I’m sure
that,
two minutes before the accident, he had no idea that his life was about
to
change forever. Sometimes things change our whole lives. God came to
us, got
our attention, spoke to our hearts privately and in His Word, and still
desires
to lead us to Heaven. Our pursuit today is just as powerful as Saul’s
was then.
You may
feel
that you are not the right person for the job that God has in mind for
you. Let me tell
you, you are the right
person for the job; you may need a slight adjustment, but God wouldn’t
call you
unless He was also willing to qualify you. He’s perfect in His timing. He’s in control. You may
feel a need and urgency,
and it may seem like there’s just no way, but you must finish. We have
to get
it done. You don’t get the reward for only going part way. Saul
followed, he
didn’t rebel and refuse and God changed his life to a righteous life of
godly
service to The LORD Jesus Christ.
III.
Pursuit Is Possible:
That’s
quite a
statement in times like these.
1
Samuel 30:1 …David
enquired at the
LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop?...
David
had killed
Goliath, saved Israel,
only to be harassed by a King named Saul. He was running, and fighting,
and
hiding from Saul. One day, they came back to their camp—the only camp
David
had—and his wives and children are gone. David, at his lowest point
imaginable,
sought The Good LORD. He encouraged himself in The LORD. David was
ready.
Experience worketh hope. He confirmed his instincts to pursue after the
enemy
to get back what was stolen from him and God told him, “YES!”
We may have
had
a lot stolen from us, our self-esteem, our pride in ourselves, our
family, our
health, our job, but David pursued after the LORD in prayer and acted
upon what
The LORD wanted him to do. Get up and pursue after God and recover all
that God
has for you in your life. God will rally you and those closest to you
in the
effort. How? Because He is God and there is nothing too hard for Him.
In Matthew
7:7, Jesus said, “Ask,
and it shall be given you…”
Jeremiah
32:27
…is there any thing
too hard for me?
Sermon
notes by Pete Shepherd
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