So will you be perfect?  Will you Love and accept Love?

John 17:9-21 NIV

I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. "I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

Hebrews 12:14-15 NIV

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

-Holiness needed for here (to serve Him) & to see Him

Covenant-agreement between 2 parties to help one another

If you will...I will! - Jesus

Conditions of Gods covenant...
-You don't have anything until you have sanctification!

...sanctify them through your truth!

Once saved, you just want more of God right!?   Is it Holiness? The Holy Spirit?  Sanctification?

-a deep felt need

Isaiah didn't cry out woa is me until her met God.

People cried out for days & they were sanctified fully.

Must believe the blessing is obtainable...

Must be entirely consecrated to the Lord!  (our part) ...sanctifying is God's part!

God wants wants to do some unreasonable things for us!  Who can understand Him?

1 consecration must be voluntary!
2 must be complete!  Body, soul, spirit...friends, job, all!  Aka our life!  (watch out for temptation)
3 place ourselves in His hands.
4 trust it to Christ
5 must be a final trust in Him along!

Simplicity of faith...try it!  Will you?

I Peter 2:4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”8 and“A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.”They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Acts 2, the Wind of the Spirit breathed into 1st church!  Gave life!

Every Believer is to become a Priest of God!  Royalty!
A Priest is a go-between, goes straight to God, a bridge builder between people & God.

Are you a priest?  
Do you share God's grace with those who don't know Him?

Be Holy as I am Holy.
Be holy & blameless before God.

Purpose of the Church: to declare perfect lifer of Christ, death on cross, & overcoming death, & His future return! 

Take time to review the slides, read the text and discuss the final questions with the Lord through prayer.  (click the slide to advance)

John 3:1-7, 14-17 NIV

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him." Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again." "How can someone be born when they are old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born!" Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him." For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Greatest Need isn't:
Health, food, money, sleep, peace, education, security, house, etc.  
These things disappear!

Greatest Need is Jesus, Salvation, The Spirit, eternal life, in other words: To be born again!

Eternal Life is like a bird taking a drop of the Pacific Ocean across to the Atlantic until it is empty & that would be just the beginning!

Nicodemus was an upright good man, but didn't haver a relationship with God!  He needed to be born again!

Do you have a relationship with Jesus Christ?

Nicodemus came to Jesus @night.  All singers are in darkness & lack discernment to know what it is.

He came to the Lord to experience Him! 

Jesus never rejects us!  Even when it's the middle of the night! 

Nothing stands between us & God except sin!  But God can take it away if we ask Him.

Have you asked Him?  Met with Him?

You except difficult physical truths that you don't truly understand.  So why can't you accept Spiritual truths?

Was Nicodemus reborn?  He had fruit!
-Nicodemus took Jesus body off cross, he stupid by him to the end.
-Her stood up  those who didn't believe!

Have you had your spiritual eyes opened?

Matthew 1:21 NIV

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

Titus 2:11-14 NIV

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

-Our Sins (wrong doing) can be forgiven and forgotten by God!  Mine have! 

-Must repudiate our sins.

-We will have tension between heaven and hell.  May we persever!
NO PET SINS IN HEAVEN! 

-We should live as If we are in heaven, sin free!

You're on the elevator of life!  It's up to you if you chose up or down.

1 John 3:1-2 NIV

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

What will you chose?

Psa 107:1  Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Psa 107:2  Let the redeemed of the LORD say this— those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,

Psa 107:3  those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.

Psa 107:4  Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle.

Psa 107:5  They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away.

Psa 107:6  Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.

Psa 107:7  He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle.

Psa 107:8  Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men,

Psa 107:9  for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.Psa 107:43  Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the LORD.

Complete Chapter:  http://www.bible.is/ENGESV/Ps/107# 


Study:

1.      Definitions:

a.      Trader: __________________________________________________

b.     City:  ____________________________________________________

c.      Evolution: ________________________________________________

2.     Who is this a message to? _________, ________

a.     What is your story?   _________

b.     A city is like a __________!

3.     What is the Message:

a.     Give __________!

b.     ________&________ comes

c.      ______________________!

d.     God ________________________________

4.     What is the Evolution of a City?

a.     God _________________

b.     God _________________

c.      God__________________

d.     _______&_______________ comes

e.     God _________________!  

                        Examples:
                                                            
i.      _______________
                                                           
ii.      _______________
                                                        
iii.      _______________
                                                         
iv.      _______________! 

http://bible.us/1Thess5.12.NIV 
1Th 5:12  Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. 
1Th 5:13  Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 
1Th 5:14  And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 
1Th 5:15  Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. 
1Th 5:16  Be joyful always; 
1Th 5:17  pray continually; 
1Th 5:18  give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 
1Th 5:19  Do not put out the Spirit's fire; 
1Th 5:20  do not treat prophecies with contempt. 
1Th 5:21  Test everything. Hold on to the good. 
1Th 5:22  Avoid every kind of evil. 
1Th 5:23  May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
1Th 5:24  The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. 

Acts 16:22-31 NIV

The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone's chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!" The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household."

Gen 2  sin and death are tied together...

Rom 6:23  Wages of sin is death.

Physical death (from fall of man)
Moral death
Spiritual  death 
Second death
Inevitable death (all will face it)

Man is destined to die then face judgement!

Now is the day of Salvation!

2 Corinthians 6:2 NIV
For he says,
"In the time of my favor I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you."
I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.

Our days are numbered!

How can we be saved?
Believe!  Have faith!

-Not:
...be baptized!  
...become a church member!
...take communion!
...have enough money!
...earn it through good deeds/works!

Must believe!  It is a gift!

Must exercise faith by trusting it will happen!

Who do you trust?  Mailman?  Cook?  Spouse? 

So do you trust the Lord?

Text:
Isa 55:1  "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.

Isa 55:2  Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.

Isa 55:3  Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.

Isa 55:4  See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander of the peoples.

Isa 55:5  Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations that do not know you will hasten to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor."

Isa 55:6  Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

Isa 55:7  Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

Isa 55:8  "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.

Isa 55:9  "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isa 55:10  As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

Isa 55:11  so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Isa 55:12  You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

Isa 55:13  Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the LORD's renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed." 
Notes:

1.  How do you come?
________ & _________ &   ______________________!
God has ___ _____!

2.  Why do you come?

1)     __   _______  ____!

2)     ____  ____  _______!

3)     __  ______  _____ __  _________.

4)     To receive __________.

5)     To receive __________________.

6)     To ________________ Him.

7)     To ____ _____________.

3.  What new thing is He doing in your life?____________

______________________________________________

4.  You are the _______!  ____________!

This it's God's plan of multiplication!

What kind seed are you?

Circle below:
Kind that waits or grows? Joyful or gloomy? Anxious or peaceful?

Encouraged or discouraged?