" DISCIPLESHIP pt4 MAKING AN IMPACT "

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We're learning more about what it means to be a man of God
who is a growing and developing disciple of Jesus Christ.

In Matthew 5:13-16,  part of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount,
Jesus used two powerful word pictures to describe what out lifestyle should look like and the impact He wants us to have
as His followers and members of His body, the church.

We have an incredible opportunity today as Christians to really
impact our culture for Jesus Christ.
Our wives, children, co-workers, our friends and the larger culture
are absolutely crying out for something --- someone -- who's real,
someone whom they can believe in and follow.

I believe that we as Believers have a special "Kingdom moment'
today to make a lasting difference for the Lord.

" PREPARATION "  Jesus gave us two timeless illustrations
for what it means to be ready for maximum impact when He 
said, " You are the salt of the earth................you are the light of the world "  (Matthew 5:13-14)

Jesus used these two common substances to tell us how we,
as born again believers, are to engage our culture and
maximize our culture for Him.

Some people say that the world is going to hell and there is nothuing that we can do out it, well I strongly disagree !!
There is something we can and must do about it ---- for the sake
of our own children and grandchildren,
and for the sake of of the work and the witness of Jesus Christ.


We Need To Be Stimulating And Penetrating As The
Salt Of The Earth....................

If we are going to make a difference, then we must be different.
That is an obvious statement,
and yet it seems there is very little difference between the way
professing Christians live today and the way that the world lives.

But Peter tells us that God  " called us out of darkness into
His marvelous light "  (1Peter 2:9)
And Jesus told us, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His
righteousness " ( Matthew 6:33 ) Doing this will make us distinctive, just as we will be distinctive when we truly become
salt and light.

When Jesus says "You are the salt of the earth" and "You are the light of the world' the word you is in the emphatic position both times.
The idea is, "You, yes you of all people, are to be salt and light"

Jesus is saying to us today, "You, man of God, be My salt and light."


Next we are going to begin teaching how you can be the "SALT"

THANKS FOR FOLLOWING !!!!!!!!

" We Need a Passion for Impact to be Jesus' Disciple "

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God has called us as His followers to change the world,
not just to sit behind a desk or take up space.

You do not have to be a corporate executive to make a difference,
because the exciting truth is that any man who is willing to "follow"
Jesus with his "whole heart" can be a disciple who makes a telling
impact for Him.

I personally believe that we often do a disservice when inviting
men to come forward in church to accept Jesus.
We tell them to sit down on the front row -- -- --
and many Christians have been sitting there ever since !!

But the Christian life is a matter of becoming a world changer,
a difference maker,
and I have an exhilarating sense that many Christians are tired of settling for less than the best in their spiritual lives......

Its time for Christians to raise the bar, lift up Christian standard
of Jesus Christ rather than living for lesser things.

We are called to commitment,
so if words like "exciting", "challenging" and "dynamic" do not
describe your walk with Christ, then its time you take a new look
at the way you are walking and where you are going.

Next we will get into Luke 14:25-33,  Where Jesus confronted a
large crowd of followers and "would-be" disciples by spelling out
what it really cost to be His disciple.  (To be Cont.)

" FANS OF JESUS "

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Fans of Jesus sooner or later find themselves exhausted.

Fans grow tired of trying to maintain an outer appearance
that doesn't match an inner passion.

They find themselves weary of trying to keep all the rules
in hopes of somehow earning Gods favor.

And I want you to know, that Jesus came to free you from
religion.
 To those who have been hauling around a long list of rules.

To those who are pretending to be more than they actually
are.
To those who are weighed down with the fear and guilt of
religion.

To all the fans who are worn out on religion,
Jesus invites you to Follow Him.

Are you tired ?
Worn out ?
Burned out on religion ? Come to me........
Get away with me and you'll recover your life.
I'll show you how to take a real rest.
Walk with me and work with me --- watch how I do it.
Learn the unforced rhythms of Grace.
I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.
Keep company with me and you'll learn to live
freely and lightly.
                             (Matthew 11:28-30 MSG)

" Preach Not Ourselves But Christ Jesus "

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But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds
of them which believe not,
lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ,
who is the image of God,
should shine unto them.

For we preach not ourselves,
but Christ Jesus the Lord;
and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of
the darkness,
hath shined in our hearts,
to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ.
                                           2 Corinthians 4:3-6 (KJV)

God uses us believers to spread the gospel (Good News),
and He gives us power to do His work.

Knowing that the power is His, Not ours, should keep us from
pride and motivate us to keep daily contact with God,
our supreme power source.

Our responsibility is to let people see God through us !!

BEWARE.............If you hear someone preaching about
themselves or their own ideas rather than about Christ,
beware --- that is a false teacher.

" COMMITMENT TO HIS WILL "

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We sow our "seed" whatever we have to give to the work of God -
by seeking the Lord in prayer,
serving His will with perfect effort,
steadily believing God's promises without becoming cynical,
declaring His reviving power to His worldly church,
consecrating our money to His glory,
waiting patiently for the divine visitation.

Those who do the will of God live forever.

" STANDING IN AUTHORITY "

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In John 14:12 Jesus Himself said,
"He that believeth on me, the works that I do he shall do also;
and greater works than these shall he do;
because I go unto my Father".

Spend time in Gods Word and find out for yourself the rights
that you have.
When you do, righteousness will become an active,
powerful force in your life.

One of the hardest things for people to understand and receive
is living from a point of authority.

When you made Jesus the Lord of your life,
Colossians 1:13 says you were delivered from the
power of darkness.
The word power is literally translated authority.

You have been delivered from the power, and authority,
of darkness and placed into Gods kingdom.
The Kingdom of God includes both heaven and earth.

Jesus said,
"All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore " (Matthew 28:18)

That same power was given to you as part of your inheritance
in Christ Jesus.

You have entered into this position of authority because
you are in Him.

In (Romans 5:18) the word says that righteousness has come
upon all men.

You may ask, then why don't all men become righteous ?
Because in order to receive it,
you have to act on righteousness from the point of authority.

Remember that authority has been given to you !!

" Prepared For Doing Gods Will "

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All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful,
but sorrowful;
yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields
the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off
the old nature with its practices and have put on the new
nature, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image
of its creator.

Be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect
will of God.

Be prepared in and out of season.

The end of all things is near;
therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake
of your prayers.

Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you
a reason for the hope that is in you.

The ones who stop doing evil and make themselves pure
will become special.
Their lives will be holy and pleasing to their Master, and they
will be able to do all kinds of good deeds.

" My Trust In The Lord "

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When you realize that your circumstances,

no matter how overwhelming or pressing, are ruled

by a King who seeks your highest good,

you can truly "consider it all joy.................

when you encounter various trials, knowing that the 

testing of your faith produces endurance.............

that you may be perfect and complete,

lacking in nothing" (James 1:2-4)

I come to you in my need,

Lord Jesus, remembering that I am yours and you are mine.

I focus on your Spirit within,

guiding me,

blessing me.

" A Disciples Trust "

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Christian discipleship is a process of paying more and more

attention to Gods righteousness and less and less attention

to our own.

Finding the meaning of our lives not by probing our moods

and motives and morals but by believing in Gods will and

purpose.

Making a map of the faithfulness of God,

not charting the rise and fall of our enthusiasms. 

I come to you in my need, Lord Jesus,

remembering that I am yours and you are mine.

I focus on your Spirit within,

guiding me, blessing me.

" Living A Victorious Life "

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Developing what I call a "righteousness consciousness"
will cause you to live an overcoming, victorious life.

Jesus was in right standing with the Father during His
earth walk and the results He obtained were outstanding.

As a child of God and join heir with Jesus, you should
expect to receive the same results.

Jesus Himself said,  "He that believeth on me, the works
that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these
shall he do; because I go unto my Father. (John 14:12)

Spend time in Gods word and find out for yourself the 
rights you have.
When you do, righteousness will become an active,
powerful force in your life.

" IS YOUR PASSION GONE ? "

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Is your passion for Jesus gone ?
There is no more pursuit, maybe there was a time when you
followed Jesus that way, but at some point you lost interest.

That's what happened to the Christians in Ephesus.
In Revelation 2:4-5 Jesus says this to the church:

I hold this against you:
You have forsaken your first love.
Remember the height from which you have fallen !!
Repent and do the things you did at first.
If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove
your lampstand from its place.

" A MOMENT WITH JESUS "

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Read Luke chapter (7)

When was the last time you had a moment with Jesus
like this women in Luke 7 had ?
When's the last time you've poured yourself out before
him ?
When's the last time tears streamed down your face as
you expressed your love for him ?
When is the last time you demonstrated your love for him
with reckless abandonment ?

I am not asking if you know about him,
I am asking if you really know him.

" A FAITHFUL SERVANT "

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But watch thou in all things,
endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist,
make full proof of thy ministry.
For I am now ready to be offered,
and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have fought a goo fight,
I have finished my course,
I have kept the faith:
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous judge,
shall give me at that day: and not to me only,
but to all them also that love his appearing.
                2 Timothy 4:5-8

" PHARISEE FANS "

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In Matthew 15:8 Jesus describes the Pharisees like this:
These people honor me with their lips, but there hearts are far from me.

That description seems to fit most Fans I know.
Like the Pharisees, many Fans have given their mind to the study of God, but they never surrendered their hearts.
These were men who had plenty of knowledge about God,
but they didn't really know God.
This is what often separates the Fans from the Followers.
Its the difference between knowledge and intimacy.

To sum it up best from the last sentence;
The difference between KNOWLEDGE and INTIMACY.

Many churches require big college degrees that simply gives you KNOWLEDGE.
But what good is the knowledge in the pulpit without the
INTIMACY ?

Yes, you can keep your degree and give me a man that
knows God INTIMATELY !!!!

Fans have the knowledge, Followers know God Intimately.

" What Is Faith ? "

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What is faith ?

It is the confident assurance that something we want

is going to happen.

It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for

us, even though we cannot see it up ahead.

Hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one hope for

what he already sees ?

But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait

for it with perseverance.

Though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains,

but have not love, I am nothing.

Am I open to what you are doing Lord Jesus ?

Am I willing to be stretched by hoping for what I 

cannot see ?