September 20, 2015 September Sermon Series on Nutrition and Health Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost Acts 4:29-31 John 1:12-13 Rev. Dr. Lawrence D. Jameson Asbury United Methodist Church in Harrington, Delaware Most Important Thing You Ever Do

Acts 4:29-31 New International Version (NIV) 29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

John 1:12-13 New International Version (NIV) Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

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INTRODUCTION I know the two best things I’ve ever done in my life. First, accepting Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and Lord. Second, getting married to my dear wife.

Those are the two best things about me and when you think about it both are ongoing relationships that I’ve been honored to have.

In my sermon today, I want you to think about the most important things you have ever done.

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Here is something we all share. Every day, we get up and we all follow a routine. Each of us is trying to so something

with our life.

It might be going to work, or school, or taking care of children. It could be just resting or making plans for something coming up. What we do every day is important because we are God’s children and we have people in our lives who love us and depend on us. It is

our social bonds, with God, with ourselves, and with people we love that define our purpose and give us meaning.

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Some days are more productive than others. Like the old saying goes: “Some days you are the windshield, and some days you are the bug.” We never know in advance how our day is going to turn out or if we are going to be successful. We get out of bed every day because at least we are trying to make a difference. Have you ever wondered, why God put you on this earth?

Here is what I think is true. We were put on this earth to say yes to God.

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The very first time we say “yes” to the Lord, was probably the most important, because that set the precedent and started a pattern. I remember my experience of admitting that I was a sinner and asking for forgiveness and grace. I was in Sunday School at the Swedish Evangelical Community Covenant Church of Monrovia, California. I was probably about 7 years old. That was the most important thing I’ve ever done because it set me up to say yes to God over and over again.

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In John 1:12 the Bible says, Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. Christians have a lot of different words we use to describe the experience of becoming a Christian. Being “born again” is one of the terms we have. In John chapter one, there are a couple of key words that describe what being born again means. The words are “receive”

and

“believe”.

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Listen to John 1:12 one more time and pick up on the words “receive” and “believe”. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God

What does it mean to receive Jesus? It’s just like opening a door and letting Jesus into your life.

What does it mean to believe Jesus? It’s taking him at his word. It is accepting the possibility that what Jesus said in the Bible might actually be true. It’s not scientific proof. It’s a relationship.

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It’s risky to believe. It’s risky to believe, because there are no guarantees in any relationship. When we receive and believe Jesus, we say “Dear Jesus, forgive me! I’m a sinner. Please come into my life!” THAT

is a humble prayer

that Jesus will honor.

Here is something astounding. When we take that step of faith, we can’t take any credit even though it is the most important thing we ever do.

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Let me tell you why.

When it comes to conviction, repentance,

and faith,

God does all the heavy lifting!

God provides you the power to change. God is the one who gives us the ability to receive and believe. If we do anything good we give ALL THE CREDIT to God. Why? That’s just the way the universe works. In James 1:17 (NIV) the Bible says, Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

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Becoming a Christian is the best thing that any of us has ever done, AND NONE OF US CAN TAKE CREDIT FOR IT! That’s the ironic, topsy-turvy nature of Christianity.

PRAY FOR PEOPLE TO BE SAVED In Acts chapter 4 the Bible describes the very first time that the disciples were persecuted. The church was brand new. The Sanhedrin didn’t like Christians, so they arrested all the apostles and commanded them to stop talking about Jesus. What did the apostles do? They prayed, and they asked God for boldness.

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Their prayer is written down in Acts 4:29. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.

That’s my prayer for the members of Asbury Church.

IF

the most important thing that ever happened in our lives was accepting Jesus,

THEN

we need to say

the prayer of the apostles.

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Now (on September 20, 2015), Lord, consider their threats (the world doesn’t want you to follow Jesus and the world is really good at threats and pressure) and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. (Living for Jesus is going to make you stick out like a sore thumb. That’s OK. It happened to the first Christians. It has happened to every Christian since.) Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus. (God please make yourself real to the people I love. Heal them God, and get their attention with power and results that can only come from you.)

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We serve a God of miracles. We serve a God who routinely changes hearts. I believe the most important prayer we will pray beside the one that made us a Christian is the prayer for somebody else

to receive Christ.

There are lots of effective ways to pray. Here are just a few: Adoration is awesome. God I love you because.... then you fill in the blank with something that God is or that God does. Confession is critical. God I’m sorry for.... then you fill in the blank with something you did wrong.

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Thanksgiving is terrific. God I’m so grateful for.... then you fill in the blank with some lovely part of God’s creation or provision. OH, but get ready! Supplication is supreme! Not when we ask for ourselves. (That’s OK. God wants us to ask for things.) But when we ask God on behalf of others, WELL WELL that’s when supplication becomes intercession. It’s like filling your gas tank with supreme instead of regular. It’s like going to graduate school instead of kindergarten. It’s like ordering filet mignon instead of a cheeseburger.

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Here’s an example of intercession. “God, I lift up John Jones to you. Touch his heart. Open his eyes. Let him turn to you for forgiveness. Bring him into the family of God!” That’s a powerful prayer. Let me tell you why. It’s powerful because, with a prayer like that, you are tapping directly into God’s will and God’s heart. God wants John Jones to be saved FAR MORE than you do. If you learn nothing else from me in all the sermons I’ve preached here at Asbury, learn how to: PRAY FOR PEOPLE TO BE SAVED. God will hear God will honor God will answer

that kind of prayer.

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Let us pray. God there are so many people who need for us to be bold. Show us what it means to receive and believe. Help us to pray for people to be saved.

Amen.