Sermon Notes 1-8-12

Sermon Notes, January 8, 2012

Pastor C.M. Pruitt

            The first sermon of the New Year was titled “Forgetting the Past and going Forward in 2012.”  It was based on Ephesians 3:20, “God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!  He does it  not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.” (The Message)

            Scientists looking through the Hubbell telescope have seen more galaxies than we can imagine, and the view is just a tiny opening in the vast universe God has created; God wants to do more for us than we can even think about.  We should be living with an attitude of anticipation and expectation.  How are we going to get there?

            In Philippians 3:12-16, Paul says, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and strainin for what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things.  And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.  Only let us live up to what we have already attained.”

            To live with a sense of expectancy, Forgetting Your Past is the first step.  We have a tendency to think backwards.  Memory can be your friend or your enemy.  We focus on what we didn’t do that we should’ve or what we did do that we shouldn’t have.  Remember when you learned to walk?  You fell many times, but you got up and tried again many more times.  Successful people have failed many times before they succeeded, among them Abraham Lincoln, P.H. Macy, and Michael Jordan.  We need to learn from both our successes and our failures, and then forget them.  God forgets.  “For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34)  He has chosen not to remember; it’s part of the covenant established when Jesus Christ died on the cross.

            The next step is Focusing on Your Priorities.  Paul’s priority in Philippians 3:14 was the Kingdom of God.  “But seek ye first the kingdom of God…” (Matthew 6:33) Pastor C.M. illustrated this point with a story about a professor who filled a gallon jar with big rocks, then asked the class “Is it full?”  They all said “Yes.”  Then he added some pea gravel and shook it in, asking again, “Is it full?”  When the class answered, “Yes,” he added some sand, which filtered down between the rocks and gravel.  This time when he asked the class if it was full, they began to catch on, so they weren’t surprised when he poured water into the jar and it was full. We all have full lives.  If we put all the little things in first, we’ll never be able to get the big things in.  What are the big rocks in your life?  The big issue is the kingdom of God—get closer to Him; know Him so we can expect more.

            The third step to having an attitude of anticipation and expectation is Functioning in the Present.  The busiest day of the world is SOMEDAY.  Instead of putting it off, do it now.  Mind God right now.  Paul in prison was busy—writing letters to the churches, instead of feeling sorry for himself or whining.  We don’t want to be like Felix, who listened to Paul and was almost persuaded to follow Christ.  There’s no record that he ever found a “more convenient time.”  We need to seize the day.  As the psalmist says, “I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.” (Psalm 119:60)

            To live with an Ephesians 3:20 attitude, we need to forget the past, focus our priorities, and function in the present.

                                            Prayer Requests

Prayer Requests

• Pray for our church board, the Pruitts and District Superintendent Phil Fuller as they lead us through this time.
• Pray for all to draw closer to Jesus and that hearts will be touched and healed.
• Pray for Liz Heiderscheit’s sister, Arlene Edwards, who has been given six months to live.
• Pray for Ed Kowalski’s co-worker, Sara Robinson, who is undergoing medical treatment for Lyme disease and has been unable to work for over a month.
• Pray for Karen Kowalski’s mother, Elaine Bortner, who will have knee surgery January 30..
• Pray for Cindy Padgett’s sister, Brenda (Sue) whose cancer has come back.  Brenda and her husband, Lew Cresell, are still dealing with Lew’s cancer recovery.  Please keep them in your prayers..
• Pray for the sick and hurting in the congregation.
• Pray for Dick Coleman as he deals with kidney stones
• Sue Davis (scleroderma)
• Gay Hopkins (fibromyalgia)
• Frank Graham (back problems)
• Ross Shackelford (diabetes)

• Pray for those suffering financial problems or hunting for jobs
• Pray for the salvation of our children, youth, and loved ones
• Pray for the local homeless shelters and food closets that are struggling financially.
• Pray for missionaries serving around the globe.
• Pray for our military (especially Richard Mc Pherson in Afghanistan)
• Pray for our nation and its leaders

Announcements

Men’s Fellowship Breakfast at Country Cookin’ 247 Southgate Shopping Center in Culpeper, on Saturday, January 21, 2012, at 9 a.m.  For more information contact Charles Valentine, 540-543-2123.