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Key Scripture: “By
your traditions you have made the word of God of no effect.” Matthew 5:6
Power Point:
Sometimes it’s a good idea to just step
aside from your life for a moment or two, look clearly at God’s Word and
examine yourself to see if you are where you should be. I’m not talking about how much time you spend
in prayer, or how many times you went to church last year, or if you had your
quiet time this morning. Those are
“things” that cause you to measure yourself.
God never does that.
Beloved, we are to believe that God’s word
has more effect on us and around us than anything else. We are supposed to be the firm standard
bearers for His Truth. People should be able to look at our lives and say,
“WOW! They are living proof of God’s goodness. I think I’ll get to know Him.”
Sometimes if you take a REALLY good look
at your faith walk you might find yourself unable to find the good effects of
salvation in your daily life.
One scripture I’ve come to love over the
last few years is in Romans 1:16:
“I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ
for it is the power of God to salvation to everyone who believes…in it the
goodness of God is revealed.” The
word “ashamed” means, confused or embarrassed.
Have you ever been tempted to be ashamed or embarrassed by all the
wonderful things that God has promised you in His gospel? Well, when I’m threatened with that nasty
little thought or when I’m having a bad day, I stomp my little foot and say,
“NO! I will NOT be ashamed of the gospel of
Christ. It’s good news. It’s powerful and I’m not going to be disappointed in
it.“
I will
not make the words and the power of God of no effect in my life.
I will
not allow lack, fear, doubt, or uncertainty to make my faith of no effect.
Doubt
makes Jesus ineffective in your life.
Fear makes
Jesus ineffective in your life.
Worry
makes Jesus ineffective in your life.
God promises that His word is alive, and
powerful and full of energy and that it never returns without accomplishing
what He desires. Have you ever been tempted to ask, “Why doesn’t the gospel
work for me?”
Scripture
is pretty clear on that one- the
traditions of men. What does that
mean? It means that what men have
decided that their own version of what God has said has more impact on us than
what God has really said.
You have only to look at America to see the
truth of that. When the bill of Rights was written, it was firmly declared that
the government could not establish a religion or restrict the full exercise of
it. The Founders had a good reason for being so specific. They came from a country where they were not
allowed to read the Bible. They had to
accept the King’s version of it. They wanted the freedom to exercise their
faith without exception. Over the years, the courts turned those words upside
down and inside out and have created a “false” truth that is nowhere near what
the founders of this country intended.
And as the years have gone by, the TRUTH and the PURPOSE of what was
 |
| Some traditions are wonderful! |
Have you heard that God intends you to
suffer? Has someone told you that healing was for a limited time in
history? Did you think you could only
live in peace when you get to heaven? Did you think the abundant life was
supposed to begin when you die?
Beloved, those are traditions that don’t
hold water. Scripture says that when we deny the power of God we become like
“clouds that don’t hold water”. In other
words, we become ineffective and useless.
Can you identify any areas of your life
where you have felt that the gospel wasn’t working? Is Jesus effective in your
life? Does what He has promised give you hope and peace or are the words He has
promised just words on a page for you?
The
gospel was designed to change your life.
Has it? What He has said MATTERS!
What you believe that HE said MATTERS!
Don’t be a cloud without water
today. Pour some Living Water on your
dry bones and watch them become effective and strong again.
Power Thought:
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