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January
18-19, 2003 EXTREME LIVING
The Purpose Driven Life!
Selected PLANNED FOR GOD’S PLEASURE! ! WE WERE MADE BY GOD AND FOR
GOD! *** Rev. 4:11 “You are worthy, O Lord our God,
to receive glory and honor and power.
For you created everything, and it is for your pleasure that
they exist and were created."
[New Living Translation] *** Matthew 22:35-38 “An expert in religious
law, tried to trap Jesus with this question: "Teacher, which is the most
important commandment in the law of Moses?" Jesus replied, " 'You must love the Lord your God with all
your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest
commandment.” [NLT] !WORSHIP IS KNOWING AND LOVING GOD
BACK! ! THE FIRST PURPOSE OF MY LIFE IS TO WORSHIP
GOD! *** Romans 12:1 “So then, my friends, because
of God's great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living
sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the
true worship that you should offer.” [Today’s English Version] uWORSHIP IS MY RESPONSE TO GOD’S LOVE! v WORSHIP IS GIVING BACK TO GOD! *** Mark 12:30 “Love the Lord your God with
all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.” [New
Century Version] ! GOD WANTS ME TO LOVE HIM… í PASSIONATLY! í PURPOSLY! í PRACTICALLY! HOW DO
WE WORSHIP GOD! 1. BY FOCUSING
OUR ATTENTION ON GOD! A. BECAUSE HE FOCUSES
ON US! *** Psalm 139:1-3 “You have looked deep into
my heart, Lord, and you know all about me. You know when I am resting or when I
am working…. You notice everything I do and everywhere I go.” [Contemporary English Version] ! THE GREATEST EXPRESSION OF LOVE IS ATTENTION! B. BECAUSE FOCUSING ON HIM IS
OUR PROTECTION! *** Hebrews 12:1-2 “It means we'd better get
on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat,
no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this
race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was
headed.” [Msg] $ WE ARE SELF-CENTERED BY NATURE! *** Romans
8:7 “Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone
completely absorbed in self ignores God, and ends up thinking more about self
than God.” [The Message] $ WE LIVE IN A SELF-CENTERED CULTURE! *** Romans 12:2 “Don't become so well-adjusted
to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your
attention on God.” [Msg] ! WE KEEP OUR FOCUS ON GOD: A. BY CHOOSING TO ESTABLISH A DAILY
TIME WITH GOD! *** Matthew 6:6 “Here's what I want you to do:
Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God.
Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift
from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.” [Msg] B. BY
CHOOSING TO HAVE A CONSTANT CONVERSATION WITH GOD! *** Psalm 105:4 “Go to the Lord…and worship
him continually.” [Today’s
English Version] *** 1 Thes. 5:17 “Pray continually…” [New Century Version] ! THE RESULT: Isaiah 26:3 “You will
keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose
thoughts are fixed on you!” [NLT] ! “If you focus on the world, you’ll be
distressed. If you focus within,
you’ll be depressed! If you focus at Christ,
you’ll be at rest!” 2. BY EXPRESSING
OUR AFFECTION TO GOD! *** 1 John 4:19 “We love him, because he first
loved us.” [King James Version] *** Hosea 6:6 “I don't want your sacrifices--I
want your love; I don't want your offerings--I want you to know me.” [Living Bible] ! THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN
KNOW IN LIFE IS THAT GOD LOVES YOU!
AND THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO IN LIFE IS TO LOVE GOD BACK! *** Exodus 34:14 “You must worship no other
gods, but only the Lord, for he is a God who is passionate about his
relationship with you.” [NLT] ! HOW CAN I EXPRESS MY AFFECTION FOR GOD? o
START SAYING “THANK
YOU!” - 1 Thes. 5:18 “Whatever
happens, keep thanking God…. This is what God wants you to do.” [CEV] o
BEGIN A
LIFESTYLE OF OBEDIENCE! -
John 14:15 “If you love me, you will obey my commands.” [NCV] ! WHAT KEEPS ME FROM
EXPRESSING MY AFFECTION TO GOD? FEAR! 3. BY USING
OUR ABILITIES FOR GOD! *** Col. 3:23 “Whatever you do, work at it
with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for
people.” [TEV] ! YOUR WORK BECOMES YOUR WORSHIP! ! IN LIFE, IT’S NOT WHAT YOU DO THAT MATTERS, IT’S
WHO YOU DO IT FOR! *** Romans 12:1a “Take your everyday, ordinary
life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it
before God as an offering.” [Msg] *** Matthew 6:33 “But more than anything else,
put God's work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours
as well.” [CEV] “So we make it our goal to please him….” 2 Corinthians 5:9a[NIV] |