Sermon Notes

“Govern Yourself

What We Need”

By Brother Kenneth Ray 

March 11^th, 2012

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Last week, Tom Hanson shared, “We have gone from the Old Testament, with all its complicated laws, to Jesus.”  This is a true statement, and it is also a true statement that the answer for everything is Jesus.  But, even this word Jesus is made up of five letters.  If you remove one letter, then the name is not the same.  If you remove enough letters, you are left with ‘U,’ and if you start seeking Jesus and all you find is you, then you’re not doing it right.

Jesus is made up of many components.  Some people see Him as severity, some people see Him as goodness.  Is He one or the other?  He’s both, and a whole lot more.

 John 4:24        God is a Spirit…

 Jesus is a Spirit; He is not one-dimensional; He is all things to all people.  You can’t put Him in a box; His Spirit is everywhere.  The only rock that God cannot move is you.  He can influence you; He can bring you down; He can humble you, but you have to move yourself.  He gave Himself for the sins of man.

 Titus 2:14        Who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity…

 Without this knowledge first, the rest of what I have to share with you is of no effect.  Without being baptized in Jesus name for remission of sins, our outcome, the Bible tells us, is already determined, but, by baptism, we are washed clean and have a new beginning.  This journey is what I really want to speak to.

 Romans 11:22             Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God…

 I’m going to share a word with you:  ‘loquacious.’  That basically means, ‘You talk too much.”  I learned this word in school because one of my teachers used to use it to describe me.  Let me define these other two words for you:  Severity is rigor, decisiveness, strictness, or harshness.  Goodness is usefulness, excellence, or kindness. 

This verse also uses the word, ‘otherwise.’  Otherwise basically means by our choice.  Now, I’m not talking about how it rains on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45); I’m talking about how you can predict what reaction am I going to get from God by this choice, but, even then, it depends on what terms you respond to.

If you feel that you’ll be overtaken by a temptation, maybe God’s severity is what you need to keep on the straight and narrow.  If you don’t feel that have control, or that you will make the wrong choice without something to keep you in line, then maybe severity is for you.

Some of us are leaders, some of us are followers, and some of us are just rebels.

If the goodness of God and the relationship is worth more to you than anything else; you choose God’s way because it has proven to always be the better; the other way is not even an option.  If you have a stellar job, and some other company tries to hire you away, you may ask yourself, “Why would I leave? I have it good here.”  That’s the way it is in God—even when it’s raining, I have it good in Jesus.

Some people need hellfire and brimstone.  Some need to know that they are not being condemned, and that they still have a chance to make it.  We have not all walked the same path in this life.

Are you prideful? He’s got humility.  Are you weak? He’s got strength.  Whatever you need to govern you, He’s got it.

Jesus is not a fear monger.  Now, it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God (Hebrews 10:31), but He doesn’t want us to be frightened of Him all the time.  He doesn’t want us to be so scared that we can’t talk to Him.  He also doesn’t wear rose-colored glasses.  His saving grace has appeared to each and every one of us.  He told Paul that His grace was sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9), but He also told Paul that he was to suffer for Christ’s name’s sake (Acts 9:16).

So, what does Jesus do?  Reconcile:

 Colossians 1:20           …blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself…

 He can use whatever medium He chooses to reconcile us with Himself.  The prodigal son (Luke 15) came to himself and realized that his father’s servants lived better than he was living.  The goodness of God can reach you where you are in your life.

Keep:

 Jude 24-25         Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling…

 He can keep you, if you allow Him.  We are able to guide ourselves, but we need to follow His guidance; if we go on our own, we will fall.

 John 14:15      If ye love Me, keep My commandments.

 Jesus is so much more than just being able to save and to keep you, because we’re so much more than just being able to be saved and kept.  Jesus can help us to find what’s most important.

 Jude 22-23      And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear…

 Whatever means works for you, dive into it with all you’ve got.  Seek, and allow God to use you to do for others what He did for you.  Don’t be an obstacle to what God is trying to do, be a conduit for His grace, and we shall obtain a crown of glory that fadeth not away (1 Peter 5:4).

                             Sermon notes by Pete Shepherd