​​​​​​​​GETTING INTO GOD’S PLAYBOOK

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KNOWING AND DISCOVERING YOUR POSITION IN GOD

 

IN SPORTS, IN ORDER TO BE AN EFFECTIVE PLAYER THAT MAKES LOTS OF PLAYS, IT’S IMPORTANT TO KNOW YOUR POSITION AND HOW TO POSITION YOURSELF TO MAKE THE PLAYS.

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IN CHRIST WE HAVE ALL BEEN GIVEN POSITIONS, MINISTRIES, GIFTS AND TALENTS THAT MAKE UP OUR CALLING IN GOD. WE ALL HAVE A DESTINY TO FULFILL.

 

ROMANS 12: 3-4

 

DO WE KNOW OUR POSITION? ARE WE MAKING LOTS OF PLAYS IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD OR ARE WE SITTING ON THE BENCH WATCHING OTHERS MAKE ALL THE PLAYS? GOD WANTS ALL OF US TO GET INTO THE GAME AND MAKE AS MANY PLAYS AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.

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THE DYNAMIC OF GOD IS THAT HE IS ALWAYS AT WORK AND INVOLVED IN MAKING PLAYS THAT BRING FORTH THE KINGDOM IN A GREATER DIMENSION, NOT ONLY IN OUR LIVES, BUT IN THE PEOPLE THAT HE PUTS IN OUR PATHS.

 

JOHN 12: 26

 

GOD EXPECTS US TO BE IN POSITION, SO THAT WE CAN HANDLE THE BALL WHEN IT IS GIVEN TO US.

 

• DISCOVERING AND FINDING OUR POSITION IN GOD.

  

 

1. KNOW WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST.

 

IT’S IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST. WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE MIND OF CHRIST AND HAVE BEEN MADE PARTAKERS OF HIS DIVINE NATURE.

 

2 PETER 1: 3-4

 

JUST AS AN ATHLETE HAS TO KNOW WHAT HE IS CAPABLE OF BEFORE MAKING GREAT PLAYS, WE MUST KNOW WHAT WE ARE CAPABLE OF IN CHRIST.

 

IN 1 SAMUEL 14 THERE’S THE STORY OF JONATHAN AND HIS ARMOR BEARER THAT WON A GREAT VICTORY FOR THE NATION OF ISRAEL. IN THE BEGINNING OF THE STORY JONATHAN STEPS IN FAITH BASED ON WHAT HE KNEW HIS GOD WAS CAPABLE OF. THIS HELPED HIM TO KNOW HIS POSITION AND WHAT HE COULD ACCOMPLISH FROM THAT POSITION.

 

WE ARE TOLD IN SCRIPTURE THAT WE ARE:

• MORE THAN CONQUERORS IN HIM – ROMANS 8: 37

• HE ALWAYS LEADS US IN TRIUMPH – 2 CORINTHIANS 2: 14

• WE CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS US – PHILIPPIANS 4: 13

 

THIS IS OUR POSITION IN CHRIST FROM WHICH WE OPERATE. WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR GOD BASED ON THAT? THE PLAYING FIELD IS WIDE OPEN.

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• WE MUST KNOW GOD’S PURPOSE AND WILL IN THE WORLD TODAY.

 

 

2 TIMOTHY 1: 9

 

WE MUST KNOW THE GAME PLAN. WHATEVER OUR POSITION IS, IT WILL CENTER AROUND GOD’S PURPOSE AND HIS GAME PLAN. THEREFORE, IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW HIS GAME PLAN.

 

LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT GOD’S OVERALL GAME PLAN:

• JESUS SAID, HE WAS GOING TO BUILD A CHURCH OF WHICH THE GATES OR THE AUTHORITY OF HELL, COULD NOT PREVAIL AGAINST HIS AUTHORITY AND RULE WILL BE ESTABLISHED IN THE CHURCH – MATTHEW 16: 18.

• THE EARTH SHALL BE FILLED WITH HIS GLORY THROUGH HIS BODY; WHAT IS THE EXCEEDING GREATNESS OF HIS POWER TOWARDS US WHO BELIEVE – EPHESIANS 1: 17-23.

• CHRIST SHALL BE MANIFESTED THROUGH HIS BODY AS THE CHURCH COMES INTO THE FULLNESS OF THE STATURE OF JESUS CHRIST. WE ARE ALL BEING CHANGED AND CONFORMED INTO HIS IMAGE – 2 CORINTHIANS 3: 17-18.

• THE GOSPEL SHALL BE PREACHED TO ALL NATIONS AS A WITNESS – MATTHEW 24: 14.

 

 

1. LET’S GOD’S PURPOSE AND PERSPECTIVE FILL YOUR HEART.

 

EPHESIANS 1: 17-19

 

GOD’S DESIRE FOR EACH ONE OF US IS THAT THE EYES OF OUR UNDERSTANDING WOULD BE OPENED SO THAT WE CAN SEE THE HOPE OF OUR CALLING. EVERYTHING ABOUT OUR HOPE AND CALLING IS RELATED IN SOME WAY TO HIS PURPOSE AND WILL IN THE EARTH TODAY.

 

IN THE SAME WAY A FOOTBALL PLAYER NEEDS TO SPEND TIME GETTING TO KNOW THE GAME PLAN, SO THAT HE CAN EXECUTE THE PLAYS CORRECTLY, WE MUST SPEND TIME GETTING TO KNOW GOD AND HIS GAME PLAN SO THAT WE ARE PERFECTLY POSITIONED FOR THE PLAYS AS THEY PRESENT THEMSELVES TO US.

 

DANIEL 11: 32B

 

WHEN YOUNG DAVID TOOK ON GOLIATH IT WAS BECAUSE HE SAW THINGS THROUGH GOD’S PERSPECTIVE. HE SAID, WHO IS THIS PHILISTINE THAT HE SHOULD DEFILE THE ARMIES OF GOD?

 

1. HAVE A HEART OF FAITH AND EXPECTANCY.

 

JESUS CONSTANTLY ENCOURAGED HIS DISCIPLES TO HAVE FAITH AND TO BELIEVE ALL THINGS WERE POSSIBLE TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN THE MIDST OF DIFFICULTIES.

 

MARK 9: 23

 

WE SHOULD EXPECT GOD TO MOVE SUPERNATURALLY IN OUR LIVES. IT TAKES FAITH, EXPECTANCY AND COMMITMENT TO BE CONTINUALLY USED BY GOD SUPERNATURALLY.

 

  

WHEN FOOTBALL PLAYERS ARE LINED UP ON THE SCRIMMAGE LINE, THEY ARE NOT STANDING THERE WITH THEIR ARMS FOLDED WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN. THEY ARE HUNCHED DOWN IN AN AGGRESSIVE POSITION ACUTELY AWARE OF EVERY MOVE GOING ON AROUND THEM WAITING IN EXPECTANCY TO EXECUTE THE PLAY.

 

ARE YOU POSITIONED TO RESPOND TO THE DIVINE APPOINTMENTS GOD WANTS TO BRING YOUR WAY? OR ARE YOU STANDING AROUND WITH YOUR HEAD IN THE CLOUDS AND ARMS FOLDED WAITING AND WONDERING IF GOD WILL EVER USE YOU?

 

1. DON’T ALLOW THE WOUNDS AND DISAPPOINTMENTS OF LIFE TO TAKE YOU OUT OF THE GAME.

 

MOST ATHLETES WILL GET HURT AND INJURED AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER IF THEY ARE IN THE GAME CONTINUOUSLY PLAY AFTER PLAY. A GOOD ATHLETE WILL GO THROUGH REHABILITATION AND PHYSICAL THERAPY AND GET BACK IN THE GAME ASAP.

 

• IT’S HARD TO GO THROUGH LIFE AND MINISTRY WITHOUT GETTING BANGED UP FROM TIME TO TIME.

• THE TRIALS OF LIFE HAVE A WAY OF STEALING OUR PASSION AND JOY FROM US. WHEN WE LOSE OUR PASSION, WE ALSO LOSE OUR SENSE OF PURPOSE AND DESTINY.

• WE HAVE A TENDENCY TO SETTLE INTO A PLACE OF MERE EXISTENCE AS CHRISTIANS RATHER THAN WALKING IN THE OVERCOMING MENTALITY AND ATTITUDE THAT GOD HAS ORDAINED FOR US. WE MUST FIGHT!

 

 

 

PAUL SAID THAT I MIGHT FINISH THE RACE. HE GOT BANGED UP A LOT; PROBABLY MORE THAN ANY OF US WILL EVER BEGIN TO EXPERIENCE, YET HE CONTINUED IN THE RACE WITHOUT LOSING HIS PERSPECTIVE AND PASSION.

 

HE WAS CONTINUALLY PERFECTLY POSITIONED WHEN DIVINE APPOINTMENTS CAME HIS WAY.

 

PETERS EXAMPLE:

 

• HE WAS THE ONE GOD USED TO USHER IN THE BIRTH OF THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH; HE PREACHED THE FIRST SERMON THAT NETTED OVER 3,000 CONVERTS.

• HE WAS DELIVERED BY ANGELS FROM PRISON.

• PEOPLE WERE HEALED BY COMING INTO CONTACT WITH HIS VERY SHADOW.

• HE WAS THE FIRST OF THE DISCIPLES TO RAISE SOMEONE FROM THE DEAD.

 

 

CLOSING:

 

GOD IS WANTING TO DO GREAT THINGS IN OUR LIVES, SO LET’S PUT ON THE ARMOR OF LIGHT AND BE ABOUT OUR FATHER’S BUSINESS. HE WANTS TO USE US AND BLESS US MORE THAN WE CAN EVER COMPREHEND OR IMAGIN

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PRACTICAL CHRISTIANITY

PERSONAL LIFESTYLE AND LEISURE ACTIVITIES

 

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS NOT A LIST OF DO'S AND DON'TS, BUT THERE ARE CLEAR GUIDELINES IN SCRIPTURE TO HELP OUT THE VALUE AND HAZARDS OF DIFFERENT RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES AND THE THINGS WE TAKE INTO OUR BODIES.

 

EPHESIANS 5: 18

 

DEBRAUCHERY: EXTREME INDULGENCE IN BODILY PLEASURES; SEX, DRUGS ALCOHOL.

1 TIMOTHY 3: 2, 3, 8

1 CORINTHIANS 6: 19-20

1 CORINTHIANS 8: 9-13

 

"BAD COMPANY CORRUPTS GOOD CHARACTER" (1 CORINTHIANS 15: 33)

 

 

THE COMPANY YOU KEEP

IT IS BETTER TO BE ALONE THAN IN THE WRONG COMPANY. TELL ME WHO YOUR BEST FRIENDS ARE, AND I WILL TELL YOU WHO YOU ARE.

 

IF YOU RUN WITH WOLVES, YOU WILL LEARN HOW TO HOWL. BUT, IF YOU ASSOCIATE WITH EAGLES, YOU WILL LEARN HOW TO SOAR TO GREAT HEIGHTS.

A MIRROR REFLECTS A MAN OR WOMAN FACE, BUT WHAT HE OR SHE IS REALLY LIKE IS SHOWN BY THE KIND OF FRIENDS HE OR SHE CHOOSES.

 

THE SIMPLE BUT TRUE FACT OF LIFE IS THAT YOU BECOME LIKE THOSE WHOM YOU CLOSELY ASSOCIATE WITH; FOR THE GOOD AND THE BAD.

 

THE LESS YOU ASSOCIATE WITH SOME PEOPLE, THE MORE YOUR LIFE WILL IMPROVE.

 

AS YOU GROW, YOUR ASSOCIATES WILL CHANGE. SOME OF YOUR FRIENDS WILL NOT WANT YOU TO GO ON. THEY WILL WANT YOU TO STAY WHERE THEY ARE. FRIENDS THAT DON'T HELP YOU CLIMB WILL WANT YOU TO CRAWL. YOUR FRIENDS WILL STRETCH YOUR VISION OR CHOKE YOUR DREAM. THOSE THAT DON'T INCREASE YOU WILL EVENTUALLY DECREASE YOU.

 

QUESTION:

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1. HOW DOES GETTING DRUNK AFFECT OUR REPUTATION?

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2. WHAT ARE THE DANGERS OF MODERATE DRINKING?

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3. CAN WE TOTALLY ABSTAIN FROM ALCOHOL AND STILL BE A WITNESS TO OUR FRIENDS?

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4. HOW MIGHT I BE A STUMBLING BLOCK TO OTHERS?

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5. IF MY BODY IS A TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, HOW SHOULD I VIEW GLUTTONY, LACK OF BALANCED NUTRITION, LACK OF REST, AND UNCLEANLINESS?

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6. HOW CAN YOU SET STRONG STANDARDS OF CONDUCT AND STILL SPEND TIME WITH FRIENDS WHO MAY NOT AGREE WITH YOUR STANDARDS?