Wednesday, February 25, 2009 @12:08 AM
Let Our Goal be ApplicationSermon on Sunday 1Peter 'Living Word' we are urged to
1. Live by the Word
2.Minister by the Word
3.Worship by the Word
Are you on a regular healthy Word diet?
Do you spend time to savour every moment
tasting every morsel of dessert on God's Word
approaching God's Word with great expectancy that He will speak with you today?
Although Soloman had clear instructions from God not to marry women from foreign nations, he chose to disregard God's commands. His wives lead him away from God. This disobedience lead to the dividing of the kingdom. Unfortunately disobedience is usually the catalyst for many problems today.
God knows our human strength and weaknesses, and His commands are always for our good.
Knowing God's Word or even believing it isn't enough; we must follow it and apply it in all our activities and decisions.
Let our goal be ApplicationSparkers learnt God's Boundaries todayEphesus is a city doing thriving business making idols with a religion centred on sex. Paul's message was revolutionary and counter culture. He advocated chastity modesty and monogamy.
Ep5:3
Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you.Such sins have no place among God's people.4.Obscene stories, foolish talk,and coarse jokes-these are not for you. Instead let there be thankfulness to God.5.You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolator, worshipping the things of this world.6. Don't be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of the Lord will fall on all who disobey Him.7.Don't participate in the things these people do.8For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord.So live as people of light!Aren't we also living in times of polluted culture? Too often,though, we settle for the bar of immorality set very low.We are so accustomed to social conventional values, we do not see a need to disinfect.Impurity has seeped into our homes into our thoughts and words and we are comfortable like froggy in hot water. I am not cooking this up. I heard it in the sermon today. Heehee.
Paul's 'spell-check' on values applies not only to our behavior and actions but also to our
thought life as well.Clean out our trashy thoughts, filthy speech and impose self restraint from 'dubious website seeing and reading'. The longer we think a certain way, the more we will speak and act that way.
Jesus tells us that our hearts, our minds, our focus need to be pure.Why? Because any time we go outside the protection of God's prescription, in mind, words or deeds, we act in unloving ways. These acts will consume, exploit and cheapen relationships.
Hui Shian sent us an excellent reminder from Paul's letter to Timothy a young church leader at Ephesus.
Thanks for sharing this effective antidote to temptation
2Tim2:22
Run from anything that stimulates youthful lust. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.Paul told Timothy to run away from anything that produced evil thoughts.
Removing ourselves physically from temptation is often the wisest.
Know when to run. We are fighting spiritual battles.
Awaiting more verses to come in from Sparkers
to encourage each other and to strive to be obedient in one accord
Value God's boundaries He has set to protect us from a lifetime of heartaches