CALL TO WORSHIP FOR OUR ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES
Psa 117:2 For His loving kindness is great toward us, And the truth of the LORD is everlasting. Praise the LORD! {HYMN} Sweet Hour of Prayer 2:08, Joslin Choir
SERMON SYNOPSIS
God has gifted us this time on earth in order that He might observe the decisions we make during our pitifully short journey, 60, 70, 80 or 90+ years. It is a time frame that simply does not register on the Eternal time-line. Its a BLINK! Its not unlike a "Heavenly Audition". God also gifted us our talents, characteristics, personality; all those things that make us individual and unique. In addition, God gave us the power of REASON and DECISION. Where we end up spending ETERNITY rests on the decisions we make. That's right! It is YOU and YOUR DECISIONS that determine Heaven or Hell!
OPENING PRAYER
OH LORD, Mighty Creator, hallowed be Thy name. Being sequestered, having movements monitored, or restricted is a tough thing to deal with. We all want so bad to do what is right, and need to stay safe. We lift all of this up to You, Lord. All we can do, Lord, is to Obey Your will, pray, and leave it up to You to will the departure of this PESTILENCE. Lord Jesus, guide us, through the Holy Spirit, to make decisions based on what is pleasing to YOU, Lord. Even in the darkest night, with patience we wait and by Your mighty will, the LIGHT of the SON will come shining through. Open our hearts to this, Your message on this Lord's day, AMEN.
SERMON
A.W. Tozer was an American Preacher that was so immersed in God that God immersed HIMSELF in the preacher! On this Lord's Day, we will examine a portion Tozer's work on The NEW Man and Man's decisions - From: God's Pursuit Of Man:
A.W. writes: The truth received in power shifts the basis of life from Adam to Christ and a NEW set of motives goes to work within the soul. A NEW and different Spirit enters the personality and makes the believing man NEW in every department of his being. His interests shift from things external to things internal, from things on earth to things in heaven. He loses faith in the soundness of external values, he sees clearly the deceptiveness of outward appearances, and his love for and confidence in the unseen and eternal world become stronger as his experience widens.
Some in error believe that once you have said "The Prayer" You're IN!
TOZER CONTINUES: With the ideas here expressed most Christians will agree, but the gulf between theory and practice is so great as to be terrifying. For the gospel is too often preached and accepted without power, and the radical shift which the truth demands is never made. There may be, it is true a change of some kind; an intellectual and emotional bargain may be struck with the truth, but whatever happens is not enough, not deep enough, not RADICAL enough. The "creature" is changed, but he is not "NEW." And right there is the tragedy of it. The gospel is concerned with a NEW life, with a birth upward onto a NEW level of being, and until it has effected such a rebirth it has not done a SAVING work within the soul.
SUMMARY
Salvation does not come in the absence of CHANGE. The change must be remarkable, permenant, and on-going, ever evolving until that "Last Breath". Rev 2:25 - 'Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come.
CLOSING PRAYER
Father, keep us strong, keep us focused on the prize. Let us be creative, loving, and very PATIENT. Praise you Father, Praise you Jesus, Praise you Holy Spirit, AMEN.
BENEDICTION AND CLOSE
Psa 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.
DOXOLOGY
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, Ye heav'n-ly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
Amen
HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?
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