Devoted Church

1 Kings 8:61

61 Therefore devote your selves completely to the Lord our God, walking in his statues and keeping his commandments, as at this day.

Matthew 22:37

37 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind.”

The only thing God has ever wanted from you is all of you!

Devoted – Very loving, loyal, to give all or a large part of one’s time and resources to something or someone.

3 Characteristics of a High Priority Relationship

A high priority relationship requires our undivided attention.

Proverbs 4:20-21

20 My child, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them escape from your sight; keep them within your heart.

A high priority relationship requires spending meaningful time.

Mark 1:35

35 In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.

A high priority relationship requires deep commitment.

John 3:16

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

3 Spiritual Practices That Enhance the Relationship

Prayer is the act of personally relating to God and it is the communication language of the soul.

1 Thessalonians 5:17

17 Pray without ceasing.

Worship is how we express our love to God.

Revelation 4:10-11

10 The twenty four elders fall before the one who is seated on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever; they cast their crowns before the throne, singing, 11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

Giving is the ultimate act of trust!

Mark 12:41-44

41 He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. 43 Then he call his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. 44 For all of them have contributed to the treasury out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

3 Qualities of a “Sold Out” Heart

We desire to fulfill the relationship that is powered by the fire of God’s love in our hearts.

Psalms 42:1-2

1 As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. 2 My soul thirst for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?

Our joy transcends our circumstances.

John 15:11

11 I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy is complete.

Our courage exhibits the inward and eternal assurance that comes from our relationship with God.

2 Timothy 1:7

7 for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and self-discipline.

We must lead the heart!

Proverbs 4:23

23 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

1 Timothy 4:12

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.”

1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV)

Vs. 12 “look down on you”

“because you are young”

“set an example”

“in Speech”

“in Life”

“in Love”

“in Faith”

“in Purity”

Matt 7:24-27

24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 

26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

Vs. 24 “listens…and follows”

“solid rock”

Vs. 25 “rain and floodwater”

“It won’t collapse”

Vs. 26 “foolish”

“Builds a house on the sand”

John 8:1-11

Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, 2 but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them.3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.

4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery.5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”

6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. 7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.

9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman.10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

11 “No, Lord,” she said.

And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

Vs. 2 “the crowd soon gathered”

Vs. 3 “teachers and Pharisees”

“they put her in front of the crowd”

Vs. 4 “teacher”

Vs. 5 “what do you say”

Vs. 6 “trap”

“wrote in the dust…”

Vs. 7 “the one who has never sinned…”

Vs. 8 “wrote in the dust”

Vs. 9 “slipped away”

Vs. 10 “Where are your accusers?”

Vs. 11 “Go and sin no more”

G.O.A.T.

Do You Want to Be Great?

Why is Jesus the GOAT?

1. The Cross

2. The Resurrection

3. His Miracles

4. His willingness to Forgive and show us how to forgive.

5. He was a Servant

John 13:1

Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end.

Col. 1:13-14

For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

Ephesians 1:7

He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.

John 13:2

It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.

John 13:4

4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin.

John 13:5b

Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet…

Christians forget one of the reasons they are here on earth is to serve.

Saved People Serve People

We have become consumers when we ought to become servants.

We are more concerned about what our church can do for us than what we can do for our church. Church has lost its priority with a lot of believers.

Mark 10:42-45

42 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Whoever wants to be great among you must be a servant!

Even the son of man did not come to be served but to serve….

John 13:6-8

6 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

7 Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”

8 “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.”

John 13:9

Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”

Jesus is teaching 2 great truths.

1. We are Called to Serve People.

John 13:12-15

12 After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.

Serving is not an option. It’s an opportunity to be like Jesus!

2. We Need to Keep our Feet Clean.

John 13:10

Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.”

1 John 1:9

9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

Serve and Confess

Jesus Forgives Sinners

WHY WAS JESUS THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME?

1. The Cross

2. The Resurrection

3. His Miracles

4. His Love

Matthew 6:14-15 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Luke 23:32-43 32 Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. 33 When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his left.

34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.

35 The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let him save himself if he is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” 36 The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine.

37 They called out to him, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 A sign was fastened above him with these words: “This is the King of the Jews.” 39 One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!”

40 But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? 41 We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”

43 And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

HOW DO YOU FORGIVE LIKE JESUS?

1. Pray For Those Who Hurt You.

Luke 6:28 NLT

Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.

Matthew 5:43-44

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

My prayer for others may or may not change them, but it always changes me.

2. Forgive As You Have Been Forgiven.

Colossians 3:13

Forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

“Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and hoping the other person dies.” Anne Lamont

Forgiving someone won’t change the past, but it can change your future.

When someone is considered the Greatest of All Time, they usually have a resume.

Michael Jordan’s Resume

6 Time NBA Champion

6 Time NBA Finals MVP

5 Time NBA Most Valuable Player

14 Time All-Star

9 Time All-Defensive Team

10 Time NBA Scoring Champion

2 Gold Medals

John 3:1-2

There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. 2 After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”

Jesus changed water into wine.

Jesus healed many physical needs.

Jesus calmed the seas.

Jesus caught many fish.

Jesus cast out demons on several occasions.

Jesus raised the dead.

John 6:1-15 After this, Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick. 3 Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with his disciples around him. 4 (It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration.) 5 Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” 6 He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!”

8 Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. 9 “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?” 10 “Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. 12 After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.”13 So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves.

14 When the people saw him do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, “Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!” 15 When Jesus saw that they were ready to force him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by himself.

1. Jesus dealt with the selfishness of men.

2. Jesus provided through his power.

Ephesians 3:20-21

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

3. Jesus was always on mission.

G.O.A.T. - Week 1

Definition of Goat:

“any of various hollow-horned ruminant mammals related to the sheep but of lighter build and backwardly arching horns, a short tail, and usually straight hair.”

“the greatest of all time: the most accomplished and successful individual in the history of a particular sport or category of performance or activity.”

Colossians 1:13-22

13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.

He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,

16 for through him God created everything

in the heavenly realms and on earth.

He made the things we can see

and the things we can’t see—

such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.

Everything was created through him and for him.

17 He existed before anything else,

and he holds all creation together.

18 Christ is also the head of the church,

which is his body.

He is the beginning,

supreme over all who rise from the dead.

So he is first in everything.

19 For God in all his fullness

was pleased to live in Christ,

20 and through him God reconciled

everything to himself.

He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth

by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. 22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

Why was Jesus the G.O.A.T?

1. The Cross

Colossians 1:13-14

13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

2. The Resurrection

1 Corinthians 15:14

14 And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless.

3. His Humility

Philippians 2:6-11

6 Though he was God,

he did not think of equality with God

as something to cling to.

7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;

he took the humble position of a slave

and was born as a human being.

When he appeared in human form,

8 he humbled himself in obedience to God

and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor

and gave him the name above all other names,

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

We Get the Benefits of Jesus being the Greatest Of All Time!

How Can you have a Relationship with Jesus?

- Admit

Romans 3:23

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”

- Believe

Romans 10:9

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

- Confess

Romans 10:13

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Doing Our Part in Relationships

Seven things we must do to Do Our Part in Relationships.

1. Don’t Get Even.

Romans 12:17-21

17 Never pay back evil with more evil.

2. Stay Honorable.

Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 

3. Keep the Peace.

18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

4. Know Your Limits.

5. Realize Revenge leads to Problems.

19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge;    I will pay them back,”     says the Lord.

6. Love Your Enemies.

20 Instead, 

“If your enemies are hungry, feed them.    If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.In doing this, you will heap    burning coals of shame on their heads.”

7. Kill Them with Kindness.

21 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

Authentic Community

Romans 12:9-13

9Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

What does Authentic Community look like?

1.The Real You

9Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.

2.Meeting Real Needs

10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

3.For the Right Reasons

Never to Please Others.

11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.

Never be lazy = Excellence

Enthusiastically = Passion

4.In the Right Way

We don’t do it in our own strength.

It starts with an Upward Focus

12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.

It finishes with an Outward Focus

13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.​