Sermon Notes

“We All Have Needs”

By Brother Kenneth Ray

January 30^th, 2011

 Click here to download printable sermon notes in pdf format.  

First off, a praise report:  In our Military Outreach, occasionally military members get transferred; recently a young man named Joe Batista, who was baptized here, went to San Diego, and I am happy to report that he successfully transferred to our fellowship there.  I would like to remind you that you don’t have to be a card-carrying member (holding up a military I.D.) to reach out to those that are card-carrying members.

We all have needs; every one of us.  Even God has needs.  Some of you don’t believe me, but bear with me.  God made us to do some things, amen?  Now, in order to do those things, we need things from God, but He needs us to fulfill our obligations.  You remember that He said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15)?  He desires to have us as His own.

Sometimes we don’t have, because we aren’t doing what God needs us to do.  It’s all about our relationship with God.  If I am with a bunch of guys, and I say, “Power stroke, turbo diesel…” etc., everybody knows what I’m talking about.  If I start talking about compression ratios, maybe not so much; a lot of us just aren’t that into it.  Now, with ladies, I’m not sure—help me out ladies…  Karats?  Oh, okay, so if I say that I’m going to buy my wife a rock, you ladies all know what I’m talking about.  That’s not just a diamond, that’s a big diamond.  Now we know a lot about God; are we working to get to know God?  The Bible says that even the devils know God (James 2:19).

If I mention Chicago Bears number 91, a lot of you know who that is, that’s Tommie Harris.  Now Jimmie Martin actually knows Tommie Harris; Tommie Harris has been to Jimmie’s home.  That’s different from knowing who he is.

How many of you are Star Wars fans?  I am.  Remember in the first movie (which turned out to be chapter IV), there’s a scene where Darth Vader says, “A tremor in the Force. The last time I felt it was in the presence of my old master.”  There’s a different between knowing God, and being able to stand in front of Him and feel His presence.

To break it down, there are three tiers:  1) Working on getting to know Him, and letting Him get to know you.  He won’t judge you the way people do.  You can let Him get to know you.  2) Get to know Him more, and allow Him to know you more.  3) Seek to know Him as much as you can, and allow Him access to all of you.

 James 4:8        Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you…

 He can take the crooked, and make it straight (Isaiah 40:4), or, if you need a little bend in it, to get around a corner, He can do that, too (Ecclesiastes 7:13).

 Matthew 28:19            Go ye therefore, and teach all nations…

 Matthew 25:40            …as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren…

 God has things for us to do.  What is it He needs? He needs you, as a whole.  He needs us, as a fellowship to commit ourselves to greatest, and the smallest, acts.  Desire to be filled.  God needs each and every one of us.  Do we all have the same strengths?  (1 Corinthians 12:27-30) Can everyone preach? Can everyone teach? Can everyone prophesy? But God knows what you can do, do what you can.  Let us seek God for the needs, but then say, “Here am I, send me.”

                             Sermon notes by Pete Shepherd