God with us (Pastor J. K. Abiodun) 28-01-2015

NDIC/DMO Chapel

Central Business District,

Garki-Abuja, Nigeria

28th January, 2015

* Speaker: Pastor J. K. Abiodun

* Topic: God with us

* Luke 1:31-35

* Matthew 1:20-23 →" But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying: Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."

* Psalm 40:6-8

* Jesus came principally to do the will of God

* Do You know the purpose for which You were sent on earth?

* Hebrews 10:5

→ Jesus came as an atonement for our sins so that we do not have to sacrifice bulls

* John 10:10 →"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

→ Jesus came to neutralize the works of Satan in our lives

* Jesus has come to bring life

* John 17:3 →"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

* He has made us to pass from death to life

★ John 1:4-5

- Jesus has come to bring light into the world & our lives

* Isaiah 60: 1-3

* The coming of Jesus has ushered the qlory of God

* 1st Peter 2:6-10

* NOTE: The same Jesus that is the Cornerstone is also a stumbling block to those who are disobedient

God with us (Pastor Ambrose Nwogu) 27-01-2015

NDlC/DMO Chapel

Central Business District,

Garki, Abuja - Nigeria

 

* Speaker: Pastor Ambrose Nwogu  

* Topic: God with us

* 27th January, 2015

★ WHY JESUS CAME

* John 10:10 →"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

* Jesus came to give us life

- What is life?

- What kind of life?

1. Life is the force, energy & power of being

- Anyone that lacks that Cannot be said to be alive

2. life Is the opposite of death/perishing

- It is the Cessation of destruction & death

* John 5:24 →"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."

* NOTE: The cessation of death and decay can only be through Jesus

3. The life that Jesus gives is eternal

* Genesis 3:22 →" And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever."

* Eternal life Was deprived Adam & Eve because of their sins

* John 17:3 → "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

* Many people today are holding on to Something that is false and will not give them eternal life - they will be disappointed in the end

* Every soul will live eternally (both Saints & Sinners)

* The Kind of eternal life Jesus is speaking about & offering is not one of duration, but one of quality and bliss

4. This eternal life is found only in Christ. No one else.

*1st John 1:2 →" (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)"

* John 1:4-5 →"In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not."

* There is no two-way about It: outside Christ, there is no life

★ PRAYER:

"I want this eternal life;

Give me your eternal life;

let nothing deprive me of it"

God wth us (Pastor Ambrose Nwogu) 26-01-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES

* NDIC/DMO Chapel

Central Business District,

Garki - Abuja

26th January, 2015

 

★ SERMON

* Topic: God with us

* Speaker: Pastor Ambrose Nwogu    

* Text: Matthew 1:23 → "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."

* NOTE: "The virgin will be with child" and not miscarry or experience any other misfortune in the process of pregnancy

* WHY DID JESUS COME?

* In a broad sense, Jesus came for one reason: Jesus came to do His Father's will

★ Psalm 40:6-8 → " Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart."

★ Hebrews 10:1-14

* The blood of bulls and sheep cannot wash away the sins of men

(Hebrews 10:4)

* To make atonement for our sins, Jesus gave His own body

* Three (3) things that Jesus Did freely (voluntarily):

(a) He freely gave Himself as an atonement for our sins

(b) He chose to do so

(c) He fulfilled prophesy

 

★ Psalm 40:7 → "Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me"

★ Hebrews 10:7 → "Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God."

* There are things that are written about you in the Scriptures and it is left to you to trust God for the fulfilment of those prophesies and promises

* A knowledge of the promises of God will constrain you from sinning or going astray

REASONS WHY JESUS CAME:

(1) Jesus came to give abundant life & destroy the works of Satan into lives of men 

★ John 10:10

God's love (Leader's Meeting) (Pastor 'Lola Owotumi) 21-01-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ NDIC/DMO Chapel

Leaders' Meeting

Wednesday, 21st January, 2015

EXHORTATION

* Speaker: Pastor 'Lola Owotumi

* Topic: God with us (God's Love)

★ 1st Thessalonians 4:9 → "But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another."

* When you are convinced that God loves you, you will not be cheated by Satan

★ Isaiah 43:1-2, 4 → " But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. . . Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life."

* There is absolutely nothing that God cannot do for those who love Him

* Because you love God and He loves you, you should be bold enough to flaunt that love everywhere you go, publicly

* You must respond to God's love by a definate commitment to righteous living. In other words, you should reciprocate the love God is extending to you

* Do not take God 's Iove for granted

* Love the body of Christ (the Church)

* Those who are committed to serving God because they love Him, will be set apart for the demonstration of His grace & glory

God with us (3) (Pastor Ambrose Nwogu) 21-01-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ NDIC/DMO Chapel,

21st January, 2015

* Speaker: Pastor Ambrose Nwogu

* Topic: God with us (3)

 

Points to Consider:

* Jesus is God by his nature

★ 1st John 5:20 → "We also know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know the true God. We are in union with the one who is true, his Son Jesus the Messiah, who is the true God and eternal life."

★ John 1:1 → "In the beginning, the Word existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God."

★ John 1:18 → "No one has ever seen God. The unique God, who is close to the Father’s side, has revealed him."

* Because Jesus (whom God sent to the earth) is also God, His own nature is love & He can love like no other!

★ John 13:1 → "Now before the Passover Festival, Jesus realized that his hour had come to leave this world and return to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end."

★ John 15:9 →"Just as the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. So abide in my love."

* We have perfect love in the combined expression of the love of both God the Father and Jesus Christ

* The statement "God with us" is deeper than it seems:

→ God is not only "with" us, He lives "in" us!

★ Colossians 1:27 → "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

* Sometimes, Jesus is with us but we do not realise that fact.

★ Luke 24:13-31

* He is not only "with" us and "in" us, He is "for" us

★ Romans 8:31 → " What, then, can we say about all of this? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

* God is also "among" us!

* John the Baptist declared: "I am baptizing with water, but among you stands one among you whom you do not know." (John 1:26)

* In the world, there are times that you may feel that you are all alone, but be consoled and encouraged that God is with you, and in you!

*******************

★ Additional thoughts from Pastor 'Lola Owotumi

* The Gospel is the wondrous story of love. When you take away love, there is no Gospel

★ Psalm 42:7-8→ "Deep waters call out to what is deeper still; at the roar of your waterfalls all your breakers and your waves swirled over me. By day the LORD will command his gracious love, and by night his song is with me — a prayer to the God of my life."

- God is Calling you to live a life of deeper love

- Sometimes, God allows you to go through Challenges, so that you will experience new dimensions of God's love

- Your situation can be handled by love

- Don't ever allow anything to take you away from the love of God

- You should allow God's love to be expressed through you to bring positive change in the world

★ 1st Thessalonians 4:9 → "Now you do not need anyone to write to you about brotherly love, since you have been taught by God to love each other. In fact, you are showing love to all the brothers throughout Macedonia, but we urge you, brothers, to keep on doing this even more."

God With Us (2) (Pastor Ambrose Nwogu) 20-01-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES
@ NDIC/DMO Chapel
Central Business District,
Garki-Abuja
20th January, 2015

* Speaker: Pastor Ambrose Nwogu

* Topic: God With Us

★ WHAT IS THE BASIS OF GOD'S LOVE?

→ The basis of God's love is His nature

* 1st John 4:8 → "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."

* God is Love - this is why He has the innate capacity to love even the most unlovable person

* God's love is so much different from the love that man professes

* God's love is consistent, pure and reliable. Man's love is unstable, conditional and sometimes out-rightly selfish

* 1st John 4:19 → "We love him, because he first loved us."

* God loved us even when there has nothing good in us

* God's love is not based on your performance or achievements

* Nothing you do (or fail to do) will ever change God's nature (of Love) towards you. He will always love You!

★ DIMENSIONS OF GOD'S LOVE

→ Ephesians 3:17-19

" . . . That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God."

- It is unconditional (It is not predicated on anything you did or said)

- It is Incomprehensible

- It is consistent

- It is eternal

- It is all-encompassing

- It is reliable

- It is inexhaustible

- It is resilient

- It is abundant

- etc.

(a) The breadth of God's Love:

- God's love is so wide, it is impossible get around it. It cannot be circumvented (avoided) regardless of what you do!

(b) The length of God's Love:

- God's love is from everlasting to everlasting. It is impossible to know its beginning or its end

(c) The depth of God's love:

- No matter how deep you have gone (in sin, sickness, challenges, waywardness, wickedness, immorality, occultism, etc) God's love will reach you and it can pull you out

(d) The height of God's love:

- No power, opinion, authority or influence is too high for the love of God to overcome

* NOTE: There is no situation you will ever find yourself that the love of God cannot reach you

* It is simply impossible for the finite mind of man to understand the love of God

* Romans 5:8 → "But God demonstrates his love for us by the fact that the Messiah died for us while we were still sinners."

* Without God's love, you would have perished

* The knowledge of God's love should change your attitude towards others and towards life in general

* NOTE: The hatred of men (no matter how intense) cannot deplete God's love!

God with us (1) (Pastor Ambrose Nwogu) 19-01-2015

MY SERMON NOTES

@ NDIC/DMO Chapel,  

Central Business District, Garki – Abuja   

Monday, 19^th January, 2015

* Speaker: Pastor Ambrose Nwogu

* Topic: God with us

* Text: Genesis 3:8

“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.”

* NOTE: Under the Adamic covenant, God visited Adam occasionally to have fellowship with him, but under the dispensation of grace, God has made His dwelling with us – “God with us” as foretold in the Scriptures. (See: Isaiah 7:14 , Isaiah 8:8  and Mathew 1:23)

 * What Prompted God to send His Son to Come and Be with Us?

The answer is LOVE (John 3:16 – “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.”)

 *The world God loved is not the mountains, rivers, the animals, etc., but YOU. You must realize that God loves YOU.

* The Jews thought that God only loves those who were religious, not the irreligious; the good and not the bad; the pure and not the impure  . . . etc.

* Even today, many people (Christians inclusive) do not understand how God would possibly love people who are treacherous, impure, malicious, adulterous, the gossips, and the like.

* Matthew 5:45(b) – “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”

* NOTE: God loves the sinner, not the sin.

* Romans 10:12 – 13 “For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”     

* 1^st Timothy 2:4 – “. . . who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”

* 2^nd Peter 3:9 – “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 

* John 10:16 – “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.”

* It is God’s desire that every man should be saved and delivered from the power of sin and eternal death.

* There are chances that because of what you are going through, you are tempted to think that God does not love you. But you must always remember that He loves you and NOTHING can change that fact, not even your shortcomings, failures, weaknesses and limitations.

 * It was because of His great love towards us that he went all the way to Calvary, so that we can be saved from our sins and become transformed into His image.  

* NOTE: God loves even the most ‘un-lovable’ person.

 I am so glad that Jesus loves me . . . Jesus loves even me! 

Like Newborn Babies (Rev. John Lohor) 18-01-2015

SUNDAY SERVICE
MY SERMON NOTES
@ Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN)
Area 1, Garki-Abuja
18th January, 2015

★ SERMON

* Speaker: Rev. John Lohor

* Topic: Like New-born Babies

* Text: 1st Peter 2:1-3

* Theme: Growing up in Christ

* Sub-Theme: Intentional Growth

* Service Leader: Miss. Alheri Mutashi

* 1st Peter 2:1-3

"Therefore, rid yourselves of every kind of evil and deception, hypocrisy, jealousy, and every kind of slander. Like new-born babies, thirst for the pure milk of the word so that by it you may grow in your salvation. Surely you have tasted that the Lord is good!"

* Peter wrote this epistle out of concern for the Christians who have refused to grow in Christ regardless of the fact that they have been Christians for a long time

* If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, you are expected to grow - there must be a positive change

* There are evil/ungodly virtues that must not be found in your life as a Christian

* Your life and character must undergo positive (godly) transformation as you grow in Christ

* When you come to Christ, you are expected to conform to His character and image. Your Christ-likeness must be evident to everyone around you

* When you give your life to Christ, you have to learn and take positive steps to be mature. This entails making deliberate effort

* The first step to spiritual maturity is taking the 'milk' of the Word of God

* The "milk" has to be pure, not diluted

* Mental growth is more difficult than physical growth

 - whatever you feed your mind on becomes a part of you. For instance, If You feed Your mind on sexually explicit materials, you are likely to manifest such in your life unconsciously

* As a Christian, It is very important to always study the Word of God. Take advantage of the availability of Bibles, and the various avenues to study God's Word.

→ NOTE: In some counties, it is a crime to even be in possession of the copy of a Bible!

* The basic ingredient you require for a balanced spiritual growth is the Word of God

* You must deliberately make time to study God's Word regardless of your tight schedules and diverse commitments

* If you do not study the Word of God, how can you grow?

* Joshua 1:8

"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."

*You must not only desire to 'ingest' God's Word at every opportunity, you must be crave for it with absolute passion

★ Additional Notes from Mr. Badung Gyang☆☆

* Milk Satisfies the hunger of a baby, nothing else would do

* Milk has all the nutrients that a baby requires for growth

* Milk contains the essential ingredients to protect the child from sickness

* Milk does not need any additive or it would be adulterated. The word does not need any addition or supplement

★ MISSION CHARGE

"There is a difference between interests and commitment. When you are interested in doing something, you only do it when it is convenient. When you are committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results . . . Lack of decisiveness has caused more failures than lack of intelligence or ability. "

- John Mason

★ QUOTE

"Character is something you either have or not. It is the real foundation of all worthwhile Success. A good question to ask Yourself is: 'what kind of world would be if everybody were just like me?' You are Simply a book telling the world about its author . . . Never be ashamed of doing, you need not choose evil; but only to fail to choose good."

- John Mason

Growth is not Automatic (Rev. Chrysanthus B. John) 11-01-2015

SUNDAY SERVICE
★ MY SERMON NOTES
@ Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN)
Area 1, Garki - Abuja
11th January, 2015

★SERMON

* Speaker: Rev. Chrysanthus B. John

* Topic: Growth is not Automatic

* Text: Mark 4:26-29

* Theme: Growing up in Christ (Ephesians 4:14)

* Sub-Theme: Intentional Growth

* Service Leader: Mr. Mark Chollom

* "Growth" means a process of growing, development, increase & maturity

* "Automatic" means a process that takes place "without human control or intervention"

* The first stage in the growth process of a seed is germination.

- The 'seed' that is planted in the hearts of men is the Word of God

- The 'farmer' is the evangelist (and through evangelism of the Gospel of Christ, "seeds" are planted)

* The farmer does not know how the seed grows from the moment it was planted, till it is mature for harvest. This is the law of nature. So as it is with crops, so also is it with every person

* God expects that the seed(s) of the Gospel that is planted in your heart will germinate, mature and become ripe for harvest

* You have to undergo a systemic process before you attain the level of spiritual maturity. It does not occur immediately or within a day.

* Spiritual growth is an intentional process that is activated and maintained by a personal choice to be surrendered to God; to know & obey His word and to serve Him faithfully

* The process of becoming like Christ starts with a decision

* It takes a lot of changes to ensure growth

* Things to help you grow spiritually:

(a) Prayer (and fasting)

(b) studying God's Word; and

(c) Fellowship with other believers

* Spiritual growth is a collaborative effort between you and the Holy Spirit

* The commitment you choose to make in life shapes your life

* You become what you are committed to

* 1st Corinthians 13:11

" When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, and reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up my childish ways."

* Christians should grow up, and stop thinking or doing things like children

* God expects every Christian to attain spiritual maturity and become like Christ

 ★ SEE: Romans 8:29 → "For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that the Son might be the firstborn among many brothers."

* God has made all necessary provision to ensure that you grow up and become spiritually mature

 ★ SEE: 2 Peter 1:3 → "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the full knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence."

* If you deliberately refuse to grow, you will be cut off from God's eternal inheritance when the 'harvest' comes

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

EXHORTATION DURING HOLY COMMUNION

* Rev. David Kwamkur

★ Romans 6:13-14

"Stop offering the parts of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness. Instead, offer yourselves to God as people who have been brought from death to life and the parts of your body as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin will not have mastery over you, because you are not under Law but under grace."

* As long as you are living in sin, You cannot grow in Christ

* Christians are susceptible to temptations, but living in sin is the personal choice of each individual

★ Galatians 5:25 → "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."

* Christians that desire Spiritual maturity must eschew drunkenness and other vices

 ★ Ephesians 5:18 → "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit."

* God expects you as a Christian to behave decently in all circumstances

* Instead of being drunk with alchohol, you must be filled with the Holy Spirit

★ Romans 13:13-14

"Let’s behave decently, as people who live in the light of day. No wild parties, drunkenness, sexual immorality, promiscuity, quarreling, or jealousy! Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, and do not obey your flesh and its desires."

"Growing up in Christ" - (Rev. David Kwamkur) 04-01-2015

SUNDAY SERVICE
★ MY SERMON NOTES
@ Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN)
Area 1, Garki-Abuja
4th January, 2015

★ SERMON

* Speaker: Rev. David Kwamkur

* Topic: Introduction of Theme for 2015 "Growing up in Christ" (Ephesians 4:14)

* Text: Jeremiah 17:7-8 → "Blessed is the person who trusts in the LORD, making the LORD his trust. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by a stream. He won’t fear when the heat comes, and his leaves will be green. In a year of drought he won’t be concerned, nor will he stop producing fruit.”

* Ephesians 4:15 → "Instead, by speaking the truth in love, we will grow up completely and become one with the head, that is, one with the Messiah."

* Christianity in Africa is like Africa itself - it is very wide, but very Shallow. The same situation is reflective of Christianity in Nigeria

* Questions that we must ask Ourselves:

→ Why is it that there are no developed Counties on the African continent?

→ Did God create Africa to remain 'undeveloped' or 'developing'?

→ For how long will Nigeria remain a 'developing' Country?

→ What have we been doing as a nation that has caused us to stagnate on the level of underdevelopment?

→ What can we do differently as a nation to enable us move from the status of "developing" to "developed"?

→ Is Nigeria too comfortable to develop?

→ Who is not telling the truth: the leaders or the masses?

* The Definition(s) of Growth:

1. Growth entails the process of adding value to your life or to something

2. to Increase in size or quality

3. to begin to do something

4. to improve on something

5. to develop emotionally, spiritually or mentally

* Two types of Growth:

   (a) positive growth

   (b) negative growth

* Growing in Christ is the desired positive growth. Anything outside Christ is like a cancerous growth that eventually leads to death

* Every negative growth in the body kills its host, if it is not removed in time

* 10 Facts about Growth:

1. Nobody is born an adult - (both Physically and spiritually)

- At birth, every living thing starts off as an infant

2. Every one can grow

- Growth is not limited to a few people

- Every living thing has the natural potential to grow

3. The right time to grow is now

- When you fail to do what is required of you, your growth process would be stunted

4. To grow is not easy

- It involves discipline and numerous sacrifices

5. Growth is not accidental

- Growth is purely a deliberately planned and strategic process

6. Babies are immature but they are expected to grow eventually

7. Healthy things grow

- Sicknesses hinder the normal process of growth

8. There is no short-cut to growth

- there is nothing like an "instant growth"

- Growth is a process which must be allowed to take its course

9. We were born babies so that we can grow into maturity

10. Growth is always needed

- Regardless of the level you are presently, there is always room for improvement

* 7 Steps to (Spiritual) Growth

1. Have a desire to grow

- Growth depends on you

- For you to grow, you must be dissatisfied wits being a "baby Christian"

2. You must keep your desire to grow alive

3. Always see the need for growth in your life

4. Eat spiritual balanced diet (God's Word) regularly

★ Matthew 4:4 → “It is written, ‘One must not live on bread alone, but on every word coming out of the mouth of God.”

★ Joshua 1:8 → "This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success."

★ Acts 17:10-11 → " That night the brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue. These people were more receptive than those in Thessalonica. They were very willing to receive the message, and every day they carefully examined the Scriptures to see if those things were so."

5. Exercise and practice your faith

- Failure to exercise your faith will cause it to become weak and ineffective

6. Be patient

★ James 1:4 → " But you must let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing."

* Growth is a tedious process that takes time

7. Don't be discouraged

★ Joshua 1:6-7 → "Be strong and courageous, because you’ll be leading this people to inherit the land that I promised to give their ancestors. Only be strong and very courageous to ensure that you obey all the instructions that my servant Moses gave you—turn neither to the right nor to the left from it—so that you may succeed wherever you go."

* You need courage to be able to grow

* NOTE:

- Genesis 1:28-29

- When you became born again, you were given seeds, not fruits

- You must maintain a right spiritual balance in order for the 'seeds' to grow into 'fruits'

- You were born to blossom & boom

- Spiritual growth is optional. It purely depends on your personal Choice

* Quotes & bits During the Service (Pastor Victor Amos):

→ "When you take God seriously this year, you will see the difference"

→ "Responsible people always do the right thing at the right time"

The Great Past and the Great Future (Rev. David Kwamkur) 01-01-2015

2015 NEW YEAR SERVICE
★ MY SERMON NOTES
@ Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN)
Area 1, Garki - Abuja
1st January, 2015

★ SERMON

* Speaker: Rev. David Kwamkur

* Topic: The Great Past and the Great Future

* Theme for 2015: Growing up in Christ (Ephesians 4:14)

* Service Leader: Pastor Victor Amos

* Text: Ecclesiastes 7:8 "The conclusion of something is better than its beginning, and a patient attitude is more valuable than a proud one."

★ Philippians 3:12-21

* The future, the present and the past are inter-connected to each other

* You cannot talk about the future without making reference to the past

* You must not forget about the past if you really want to walk into the future with boldness, that is why the work of historians is important

* History keeps repeating itself every time. There is nothing new under the sun

★ Ecclesiastes 1:9

" Whatever has happened, will happen again; whatever has been done, will be done again. There is nothing new on earth."

* Businessmen usually make reference to the past in order to get vital information that would be useful in making future business decisions. You Should learn from this.

 

* Information is vital to the success of any venture in life.

 

* You will need credible information if you intend to venture into an unknown territory

* Question: How did you end 2014?

* How you ended the last year would give you an idea of how the coming year might turn out to be

* NOTE: Faith does not deny the reality of things. What is the current reality of your life?

* You might have ended 2014 on a wrong note, but you still have the opportunity to make amends now before it is too late

 

* When Apostle Paul took inventory of His life, he realized that he had not yet arrived his destination (of knowing Christ intimately), that is why he said: " It’s not that I have already reached this goal or have already become perfect. But I keep pursuing it, hoping somehow to embrace it just as I have been embraced by the Messiah Jesus" → Philippians 3:12

* The primary work of every Christian is to do the will of God. Your (secular) job is secondary to that primary work/calling.

* NOTE: there is a major distinction between "work" and "job"

* Your (secular) job should not hinder you from fulfilling God's primary purpose for your life. If it is, then you need to reconsider.

* NOTE: God will not Judge you based on the success recorded in your secular job, but on whether (or not) you fulfilled your primary purpose/calling in life

* Question: Did you do what God asked you to do in 2014?

☆ 3 Things to do with the Past:

1. You need to look at the past.

* This requires careful and honest evaluation of your past experiences - both good and bad

* If you do not look at (honestly confront & evaluate) your past, there is a tendency to erroneously think that you have "arrived" at your destination or fulfilled your divine purpose in life

2. You must learn from your past

- The historical accounts of the Bible were written so that we can learn from them today

★ 1st Corinthians 10:11 - "These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down as a warning for us in whom the culmination of the ages has been attained."

* Keep records of the past because the past is not yet past!

* You need to learn from your past experiences and make necessary adjustments accordingly

* Failure to learn from the past is a sign of foolishness

* Don't keep doing the same thing over and over again that is not producing positive results

* Look for information; get to know more about what you are doing and how you can do it better in the new year

 

3. Leave the past behind

- Though there are things to learn from it, you are not supposed to carry the past into the future

* Many people today live on past glory (of spiritual achievements and service to Christ)

* NOTE: You cannot walk forward if you keep looking backwards

* Sometimes we carry our past mistakes into our future and they constitute obstacles on our way to moving forward

* NOTE: It is not possible to wind back the hands of time to correct the mistakes of the past. leave them behind you

★ Philippians 3:13b → "But this one thing I do: Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead"

☆ 3 things to do with the future:

1. Plan for a good future.

* Evil things grow on their own, while good things are a product of careful planning and preparation

2. Move into the future with Courage

* Do not give room for fear in your life

* Fear cripples and hinders you from becoming who God wants you to be.

3. Do Something Great for God

* Doing great things requires great faith in God

* The surest way to please God is to consistently walk in faith (Hebrews 11:6 → "Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who diligently search for him.")

 

* Attempt something great for God this year

★ SUMMARY

☆ 3 Things to do with the Past:

1. Look at the past

2. Learn from your past

3. Leave the past behind

☆ 3 things to do with the future:

1. Plan for a good future

2. Move into the future with courage

3. Do something great for God