“Are You Ready to Go Home?” By Bob Heirtzler October 10th,
2010 This
message had two parts: People turning back to Jesus 2 Chronicles 7:14-16 …turn from their wicked ways… There are many examples in the Bible of people who turned to God continually. Moses: every time something would happen, he immediately dropped to his knees and prayed; then, once he got the answer, he stood boldly (Exodus 5:21-23, Exodus 17:3-7,.Numbers 11:2, Numbers 11:10-23, Numbers 14:1-5, Numbers 16:3-4, Numbers 20:3-6, Numbers 21:5-9, etc.). Job: he had hard trials, but he always turned to God, even though his family and friends thought that he must have done something wrong, and, in the end, God blessed him with twice as much as he had before (Job 42:10). Queen Esther: When she faced troubles, she called for prayer and fasting for the right thing to say to the King, knowing that she could be put to death for approaching the King uninvited (Esther 4:16). The woman with the issue of blood: she suffered many things from physicians, but when she turned to Jesus, and touched the hem of His garment, then she was healed (Matthew 9:20-24). David: he was just a boy when he saw the giant, but he came to the giant in the name of the Lord (1 Samuel 17:45). Noah: he was a righteous man who built an ark; it took him a hundred years, but he built it (Genesis 5:32, Genesis 6:8, Genesis 7:6). Daniel: he was put in the lion’s den because he was praying, and God brought him through it because he was a praying man (Daniel 6:4-24). Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: they were not careful to answer the king; they knew that their God was able to deliver them, but, even if He didn’t, they still wouldn’t bow down before the King’s image, and when they came out of the furnace, they didn’t even have the smell of smoke on them (Daniel 3:1-30). We’ve had giants in our lives, and we’ve been thrown in the fire. Sister Ann was healed from cancer. 10 years ago, my dad was delivered from cancer. The doctor wrote on the chart: “Miracle from above.” My uncle was also delivered from cancer. Arman’s daughter was healed from a bump on her head. Man came to church with a disease that cause him to be able to walk, was challenge by God to step out and he did and he ran to the alter leaping and praising God; after church, he ran a footrace in the parking lot. There are many witness is this room where God healed, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, broken families restored, restoration, better jobs, better living situations and the list goes on and on. Why? because we are always turning back to Jesus. Jeremiah 24:7 …they shall return unto me… God gave us a heart to know Him. People who turn
their back on Jesus Luke
15:11-16
(the prodigal son) The
younger son decided that
the grass was greener in the other pasture.
He wanted to get out on his own.
He
thought that he could do things without the help of the Father. He thought he was living
it up and having fun
– until the sources ran out. No
money,
no friends, no one to talk too, and he ate with the pigs. People of this world can
be cold, cruel, and
abusive; they are nice until all that you have is depleted, then they
let you
go and look for others. People
that do drugs
enjoy watching others do drugs Luke 15:17-19 …he came to himself… He felt dirty. Sin is dirty, like a dark spot on a white wedding dress. He was determined to make it right; he would rather be a servant than a son. Luke 15:20-24 …his Father saw him, and had compassion, and ran… All the angels rejoice when a lost soul turns back to God (Luke 15:7). When I was a kid, if I did something wrong, I had to go talk to the priest about it, and then he would talk to God. If he wasn’t home that day, I had to wait until the next day. I didn’t know that I could just confess my sins directly to God. Luke 15:25-32 (the older brother was angry) God said, all you ever had to do was ask. Sometimes we sit around and think, “Wouldn’t it be great if…” Did you ever think that maybe God was trying to lay that on your heart to start it? I ask myself, where am I in this story? Am I the prodigal, son, or the older brother? We can’t pick and choose who comes to God, or who comes back to God. We can’t be a roadblock. You can sit and do nothing and wonder why nothing’s getting done. You know, Jonah was in the whale for three days before he cried out to God. I think I would have cried out to God the first day, myself. No matter what situation we’re in, God can fix it. He placed the earth in a perfect position: One degree closer to the sun, and we’d burn up; one degree farther away and we’d freeze. In the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Derek Redmond was the favorite to win the 400 meter track event. He started running, but 150 meters into the heat (16.2 seconds), he tore a hamstring during the heat, and collapsed. He started hobbling to the finish line, knowing that he would finish last, but determined to finish. His father came out of the stands and helped him across the finish line. Our father wants to help us. Every demon is out to stop us, that’s why we need each other. Here are ten things that I have been encouraged by over the years; some nuggets of gold that helped me to keep turning to Jesus: I’m not here to discourage you; I’m here to encourage you. I’m not here to tell you that you’re going to Hell; I’m here to teach you how to get to Heaven. I’m not here to tell you tell what you want to hear, but what you need to hear I’m not here to be negative; I’m here to be positive. I’m not here to tear you down; I’m here to build you up. I’m not here to talk at you; I’m here to talk to you. I’m not here to tell you stories; I’m here to tell you the truth. I’m not here to squish your dreams; I’m here to help you see them come to pass. I’m not here to be an enemy; I’m here to be your friend and brother in Christ. I’m not here for the world’s riches; I’m here to lay up treasures in Heaven. When I was 19 years old, I gave away all of my fishing gear, because that was my god. Twenty years later, I started the Galilaean Fishing Club, to minister to the kids in the church. Romans 8:35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?...Sermon notes by Pete Shepherd |
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