Immerse yourself in this profound discourse on the art of conversing with God, intricately woven with personal anecdotes and spiritual insights. Through a series of captivating narratives, you’ll explore the dynamics of dialogue with the divine, uncovering the subtle nuances of communication that often lead to transformative encounters. From moments of uncertainty and hesitation to the joyous embrace of God’s Presence, each story serves as a poignant reminder of the richness found in staying engaged in the conversation with God. So, are you ready to step into a deeper, more meaningful connection with God?
In this message we explore the universal longing for fulfillment beyond material success. Through introspection and surrendering our attachments, we’re challenged to build our lives on a foundation of Faith, transcending mere ambition and finding true contentment in God’s presence. This transformative journey invites us to embrace a life that surpasses earthly desires, leading to a deeper understanding of fulfillment and purpose.
Dive into a profound message with Pastor Ben as he explores the essence of building life God’s way, emphasizing the pivotal role of faith as the foundational element for a purposeful and fulfilling journey. Drawing inspiration from the creation story in Genesis, the message highlights the importance of aligning every aspect of life with God’s principles. Pastor Ben shares practical insights on starting relationships & rebuilding marriages God’s way!
It is a great honor to lead others to Faith, boasting not in pride but in the positive impact we’ve had. As messengers of God’s love, let’s envision lives transformed, baptized, and entering heaven with joy. This vision fuels our commitment to the Great Commission, sharing the transformative power of Faith!
Uncover the parallels between Nehemiah, a cup bearer in the king’s palace, and the challenges we face in our families today. This message calls us to wake up, break free from complacency, and actively fight for our families. Don’t miss this stirring message that encourages us to prioritize what truly matters—our loved ones. It’s time to be a force for change and restoration in our homes.
Join us for a powerful message that delves into the essence of crucifying temporary suffering to attain imperishable glory. Emphasizing the importance of self-discipline for the greater purpose of guiding others. Gain insights into facing life’s challenges, embracing suffering, and finding strength in seeking God’s kingdom first. Learn to crucify your temporary struggles, trusting in the promise of a new, glorified body and eternal life.
In the heart of the story of Naaman, a commander afflicted with leprosy, lies a profound metaphor for our spiritual journey. This narrative is more than a biblical tale; it’s a reflection of our own struggles and the path to receiving what we seek from God. Naaman, a man of stature and pride, initially balked at the prophet Elisha’s simple solution to wash in the Jordan River. His reluctance echoes our own hesitance to obey God.
Naaman’s story is a reminder that true healing and transformation often come through simple acts of faith and obedience, much like the act of immersing in the muddy waters of the Jordan. In our lives, we encounter our versions of ‘muddy water’ – those unassuming opportunities for growth and renewal that we often overlook or undervalue.
Just as Naaman had to shed his pride and follow Elisha’s instructions, we too are called to let go of our preconceived notions and ego. It’s in these acts of surrender that we often find the most profound growth. The muddy waters symbolize not just a physical action, but a spiritual stance of humility and trust in God’s plan.
The story of Naaman also teaches us about obedience. In today’s world, where autonomy and self-direction are highly valued, the idea of obedience can seem outdated or restrictive. Obedience in faith is liberating.
As we navigate the challenges and opportunities of this new year, Pastor Ben’s message is clear: seek and embrace your ‘muddy water.’ It may come in the form of a challenging task, a call to serve, a moment of introspection, or a step towards reconciliation. These moments, however humble or daunting, are where true growth and transformation lie.
Today we are finishing up our series called “Unwrapped.” What a perfect name for a series at Christmas right? We learned about a few of the gifts that God has provided for us as His children and followers. So the first gift was the gift of justification, which was really the gift of peace with God. We talked about the gift of redemption, which brings us joy, the joy of salvation. And then last week we talked about the gift of sanctification, which is really the gift of love as we are molded in the image of the one who loves us.
Now, let’s discuss some gifts that WE can give to God. Let’s look at Luke 2:10-14 which says, “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Something very important to mention here is that the angel of the Lord did not go to the wise men or to the King or to the prominent or even the religious people here. God sent His messenger to shepherds who took care of sheep. They were stinky, poor and maybe even uneducated. Why? This was no more an accident than Jesus being born in a barn. God wanted it to be abundantly clear to all that He works with and through anyone and anything.
These shepherds first went and spread the news and then they worshipped Jesus. They had no fancy clothes or gifts, probably not even a bath. What could they give? They gave their service by spreading the news and their worship was their gift. We should never compare ourselves to anyone when it comes to what we can do for God.
God had given these shepherds the gifts of humility, obedience, the ability to worship and the gift of being present. These men were considered some of the lowest in the community, there was nothing sophisticated or fancy about them. If God had wanted fan fare for baby Jesus, He could have had Him born a real prince in a real palace. He would have been trained to be king. This is not God’s way. God is ALL about the heart and the ones with humble hearts were the guys hanging out with sheep for a living. They were able to recognize the miracle and to worship. They were obedient in that they spread the word. They were present enough to see with their hearts what was going on. Their spirits were tender enough to understand that this was no ordinary baby. What an awesome lesson for us as well. Do we really see what God is doing in our lives? Are we present enough to hear Him speak?
So, we have been talking about the birth of Jesus and so let’s discuss the three gifts that the wise men brought as well. The Bible says that the brought gold, frankincense and myrrh. Gold is of course a precious metal that can represent wealth. God looks at us and values us far beyond any precious metal. Gold is also tested by fire and what come out is beautiful. Our faith is also tested by the fire of trials and testing. When the testing is over what should be left should be beautiful before the Lord. Frankincense was used as an aroma that was burned for a pleasing fragrance. In the Old Testament it would be burned with the sacrifices which brought people closer to the presence of God. We don’t use frankincense anymore, but our worship is a sweet aroma to the Lord.
Myrrh was used as a healing oil when someone had a wound. It was also used as an anointing oil in burial. In fact John used Myrrh when burying Jesus. We can share Jesus with the lost and introduce Him as a healing oil to the wounded and dying world.
The thing about gifts when it comes to our Heavenly Father is that He accepts them all. Jesus came to the tax collectors, the prostitutes and those rejected by society. Why is that? They were hungry for Him! They gave what they had and Jesus accepted it all.
Let us not forget that God is not impressed with your wealth, titles or accomplishments. He is most impressed by your hungry hearts and your gifts of humility, obedience and worship! This is great news for us all!! We don’t need to waste time trying to impress God, we need only give the best from our hearts!
Today, we wrap up our series called “Unwrapped” with one more word that you may have heard before. We have looked at justification and redemption and today we will look at sanctification. To summarize what we have learned, justification is the act of being made righteous through the atoning blood of Jesus. We are in fact sinners, but because Jesus died on the cross, God no longer sees our sin, but He sees us as righteous. Redemption comes from Jesus dying on the cross to save us from our sin. This was God’s amazing plan to save us from an eternity in hell.
What is sanctification? It means to be set aside for a sacred purpose. A great example of being set aside is when your grandma or mom tells the family that the “good china or silver” is never to be touched except for special occasions. Why? It was because the owner wanted these items to be special and protected. You don’t throw a hot dog down on your special china! No, you use a paper plate or your every day dishes for that. The china is for holidays and very special occasions.
I know these words can be confusing at first, but they are different and here is how. Justification happens immediately from the moment a person accepts Jesus Christ as their lord and Savior. Sanctification, however is a process that lasts a lifetime. It is a daily decision to live differently than everyone, sometimes a moment to moment process. If you think about it, it makes since that if we live in this messed up world we as Christ followers will have to make conscious decisions to be set apart. To put it bluntly, if at work or school no one knows we are disciples of Christ, we are probably not walking in sanctification.
Now, we all know that when you plant a fruit tree, it takes a process for that tree to bear fruit. As far as I know, no one has ever planted an apple tree and picked apples the next morning. It takes time and it’s the same with sanctification. Certainly if you have lived any amount of time as an unbeliever in this world it’s going to be a process of growth to live set apart and for God’s purposes.
1 Thessalonians 4:3 says, “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality.” So how does this process work? 1 Peter 2:1-3 says, “So put aside every trace of malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander and hateful speech; like newborn babies [you should] long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may be nurtured and grow in respect to salvation [its ultimate fulfillment], if in fact you have [already] tasted the goodness and gracious kindness of the Lord.” The number one way to transition from milk to meat spiritually is to dive into the Word of God. When you are newly saved it is common and expected that you are going to depend on your pastor, books, podcasts etc. to learn about your new found faith. However, at some point you will need to read and meditate on God’s word for yourself…while continuing these other ways as well.
We know that we as Christians are called the Bride of Christ. Have you ever met someone who is getting married and they discover their future spouse is in love with someone else? If so, were they happy about it? That would be a massive NO!! It’s the same with God. He does not want to share us with the world, instead He wants us to be set apart for Him and Him alone.
Here is a great thing to look at this week. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, what things do you have in your life to remind you that you are set apart? Do you take a stand for righteousness? I don’t mean throwing coffee table sized Bibles at people either. I mean do you carry yourself in such a way that folks can tell you are different. Do you walk away from the dirty jokes at work? Do you say no thank you to the dirty movie that everyone wants you to go and see? Don’t misunderstand me, we ALL have struggled with something and we have all missed opportunities to demonstrate the fact that we are sanctified. However, it is never too late, not until you draw your last breath. This is a great day to take stock of the places that we need to submit to God and allow Him to sanctify us and set us apart from this world.
Grasp the profound truth that, in spite of our imperfections, we’ve received an extraordinary gift – Redemption! He, in His boundless mercy, has rescued us! Through the transformative power of His sacrifice, we’ve been liberated from the shackles of sin!
Revelation Frisco is a Spirit-filled, diverse, non-denominational church family located in Frisco, TX. Led by Pastor Ben Sanders, we envision a church that is vibrantly alive with true worship of Jesus Christ. Visit us online at http://rev.church.
