Boundaries - We All Need Them - 2

Subject - Building The Wall That keeps Us safe

by Rick Welborne

Proverbs 22:28 (NKJV) 

28 Do not remove the ancient landmark Which your fathers have set. 

Nehemiah 1:14 (NKJV) 

1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. It came to pass in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the citadel, 

2 that Hanani one of my brethren came with men from Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 

3 And they said to me, "The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire." 

4 So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 

–Last week we spoke of having boundaries or fences in our lives to keep us safe and that seemed to strike a cord with so many...we all need certain limitations on our lives.

–We are overwhelmed not just because we have no walls or fences in our lives but also because the ones we do have are broken down and the gates are burned.

–We see prodigals living outside God’s fences and many friends paying the consequences of crossing boundaries because the walls were broken down.

–We need to realize as Nehemiah did that people are in great distress and reproach because the walls that used to be there to protect them are broken down. Have compassion.

–With God’s help I want to encourage you to rebuild the walls in your life that are supposed to be there to protect you and to keep the enemy out.

–Do not confuse the walls we are speaking about today with the walls in your lives that need to be broken down...insecurity, addiction, bondage, anger, fear.

–What we are speaking about today are walls, fences, boundaries that God has intended to be there to keep you safe from the enemy of your soul.

–So what was it that Nehemiah had to do to see the walls and gates restored?

1. To see the walls restored there must be sincere praying and repenting before the God of Heaven. 

Nehemiah 1:511 (NKJV) 

5 And I said: "I pray, LORD God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, 

6 please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father's house and I have sinned. 

7 We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. 

8 Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; 

9 but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.' 

10 Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand. 

11 O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man." For I was the king's cupbearer. 

–Prayer and repentance to the Lord Jesus must be the foundation of the walls or fences in our lives.

–To have secure boundaries or borders in our lives there must be a strong foundation. The Bible is clear about Who that would be:

1 Corinthians 3:1011 (NKJV) 

10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 

11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 

–Hear me...we pray to Jesus...we repent to Jesus and we build on Jesus...pray in His Name

–We confess that we have sinned and have been negligent about establishing boundaries in our lives and our children’s lives.

–Because of this many have been scattered...many who have said they loved Jesus have fallen away...why?  The walls were down and the enemy came in.

–We have given the enemy access long enough and now it is time for it to stop...we have to rebuild the walls so that we and our families can be safe.

–God said...9 but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.' 

–His promise is that He will bring them back within safe boundaries...we want there to be a returning of prodigals...for them to return to the walls of safety...the church.

–Satan loves to divide, to tear down, and to conquer...it is time for us to rebuild the walls and for our sons and daughters to be more than conquerors. 

2. To see the walls restored someone has to go before the King and petition Him for the needs of the people.

–Nehemiah prayed for mercy and then went before the king...we have to do the same...we must go before King Jesus to get help to rebuild the walls. 

Nehemiah 2:25 (NKJV) 

2 Therefore the king said to me, "Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart." So I became dreadfully afraid, 

3 and said to the king, "May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire?" 

4 Then the king said to me, "What do you request?" So I prayed to the God of heaven. 

5 And I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, that I may rebuild it."

–Do you just suppose God is waiting for someone to come before Him with a sincere heart to help others by rebuilding their walls.  Imagine God saying...What do you request?

–Because Nehemiah was a faithful servant with a gracious heart...the king was more than ready to bless him and to grant him his request.  This may be key for us.

–I believe...I know God is more than ready to bless and to help our children and our friends who are out of the safety of God ordained walls.

–What’s our responsibility?  Lord send me that I my rebuild it...rebuild the wall...rebuild the church...rebuild our homes.  Again God is saying...What do you request?

–There is an all out assault on the family, the church, and us as individuals but it is time for us to rise up and build the walls together.  Pastor and churches under attack.

–After expecting the walls and the gates Nehemiah met with the city officials:

Nehemiah 2:1718 (NKJV) 

17 Then I said to them, "You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach." 

18 And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king's words that he had spoken to me. So they said, "Let us rise up and build." Then they set their hands to this good work.   

–Come on, Life Church, let’s allow the hand of our God to be upon us and let’s allow the Word of the King to motivate us...What do you request?  "Let us rise up and build." 

3. Once you decide to rebuild the walls you can expect opposition from the enemy.

Nehemiah 2:19 (NKJV) 

19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, "What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?" 

–There will always be those who fight against the ones who want to follow after God from without and from within.

–You will get opposition when you decide to rebuild the walls and to set boundaries.

–The enemy will mock you...You are going to do what with your family?  It’s too late to set boundaries, they are already lost.  Who do you think you are asking God for help?

–Life Church is growing to how many people...In Fruitland Park...what a joke!

Nehemiah 4:13 (NKJV) 

1 But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews. 

2 And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbishstones that are burned?" 

3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, "Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall." 

–When you tell people they can’t when God has told them they can...you sound just like Satan...be careful not to speak against what God is up to.

–It is so easy to get discouraged when we hear those who oppose God’s plan and will but somehow, someway in the middle of the chaos we have to hear what God is saying:

Nehemiah 2:20 (NKJV) 

20 So I answered them, and said to them, "The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem." 

–Listen to Sanballat’s questions and our responses to him:

Will they fortify themselves?  Yes, we are rebuilding the walls and setting up the boundaries, of course, with God’s help.

Will they offer sacrifices?  Yes, we will give offerings and sacrifices of praise to our God!

Will they complete it in a day?  Tough question.  We know we cannot rebuild the walls in just a day but in just a day we can decide to rebuild the walls...Today is that day!

Will they revive the stones?  Yes, thru the power of God revival will come!

4. To rebuild the walls there must be a willingness to do your part and to work along side with others.

Nehemiah 3:13 (NKJV) 

1 Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors. They built as far as the Tower of the Hundred, and consecrated it, then as far as the Tower of Hananel. 

2 Next to Eliashib the men of Jericho built. And next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built. 

3 Also the sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors with its bolts and bars. 

–So how do we rebuild the walls, Pastor, and how do we reset the boundaries?  We hear God say...What do you request?  We do it side by side and we do it by families.

Nehemiah 4:1315 (NKJV) 

13 Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. 

14 And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, "Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses." 

15 And it happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work. 

–They stood according to their families...if you do not have family here with you we will adopt you!!  Join with a family close to you!!

–Take up you sword which is the Word of God...obedience is imperative.

–Listen to Nehemiah’s words:   "Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses." 

–What happened: God brought the enemy’s plot to nothing and gave the victory.

Boundaries - We All Need Them

Subject - We All Need Fences In Our Lives
by Rick Welborne

Proverbs 22:28 (NKJV)

28 Do not remove the ancient landmark Which your fathers have set.

Proverbs 23:10-14 (NIV)
10 Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless,
11 for their Defender is strong; he will take up their case against you.
12 Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.
13 Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die.
14 Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death.
Deuteronomy 19:14 (NLT)
14 "When you arrive in the land the LORD your God is giving you as your special possession, you must never steal anyone’s land by moving the boundary markers your ancestors set up to mark their property.
Deuteronomy 27:17 (NIV)
17 "Cursed is the man who moves his neighbor's boundary stone." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"
1. We all need boundaries in our lives...we all need fences...we all need limitations set for us.
–Even though we do not have as many noticeable boundaries as we used to...we all need spiritual and moral boundaries set up in our lives.
–Because of where we live and because of so many horses and cattle...fences are absolutely necessary...oh, what fun when a gate is left open or a fence broken down.
–Maybe there are still a few here that remember a day when there was a distinction between the church and the world...fences seem to be disappearing.
–It appears that the pendulum has swung the other direction where the evidence of boundaries are all but gone...the church has its own political correctness.
John Hyde (Praying Hyde) - The most effective way to draw people to Christ is to look like Christ. Today’s prayer-less churches have come to believe that the most effective way to draw the world to Christ is by looking like the world.
–I agree with him in what he says but it seems that we have graduated even further where not only do we look like them but we live like them also.
–Being relevant and in touch can be a positive thing but when we begin to indulge in the same things and have the same attitudes as they do...where are the boundaries.
–We have become so seeker sensitive that we have to ask the question...who is changing?
Paul says:
1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (NLT)
19 Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ.
20 When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law.
21 When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ.
22 When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some.
23 I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.
–So many have used these verses to excuse them living compromising lifestyles they say to win the lost...Paul said I obey the law of Christ...I don’t step over the fence.
–I think we have sacrificed enough of our own children on the altar of compromise...there must be clear boundaries...the fences must be clear. Example of Joshua in the street.
2. When we move the boundary stone or we jump the fences we are trespassing and trespassing is sin.
Ephesians 2:1-5 (NKJV)
1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)...
–We were all dead in trespasses and sin but Jesus has set us free, by His grace we have been saved...why do we want to jump over the fence into the pig pen?
–Fences or boundaries have been placed in our lives to keep us from going where we shouldn’t go and to keep us from doing what we shouldn’t do. Traffic laws.
–I said it a couple of months ago but it bears repeating...when you are where you shouldn’t be, doing what you shouldn’t be doing, at a time you shouldn’t be there...bad things happen.
–Almost every morning I see on the news that someone at a bar the night before, between 12 and 3 AM is hurt or killed...If you play with snakes...you get bit.
–Fences or walls are there to keep the enemy from getting to us to do us harm...borders may be important for countries who do not want bad people coming in. You think?
–God tells us not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers, yet we cross that line because of compromise and some emotional or physical attachment...we reap the consequences.
–We all need to know that there are limitations (fences) in our lives for our own safety.
–Adam and Eve had incredible freedom and blessings and really only had one fence:
Genesis 2:15-17 (NKJV)
15 Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.
16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;
17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."
–When we step over the boundaries and do our own thing...we die spiritually. God was not trying to keep them from anything...on the contrary He was blessing them. Every tree but 1.
–We go after that thing, that person, that relationship that God has said in His Word that has fences around it...we trespass...we sin...we hurt ourselves spiritually...we hurt others.
–Let me throw this in for free...I was listening to a dear brother pray the other day while a few of us were receiving communion...his prayer was beautiful and sincere.
–He said "Thank you, Lord, that your blood has forgiven our past, present, and future sins."
As I thought about his prayer and what it meant the Lord spoke to me.
–It is not only about forgiveness of sin...it is also about the consequences of sin...what sin does to you and the people in your life.
Romans 14:7 (NKJV)
7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.
–You see when you trespass...when you sin...it always impacts others in some way. You are on someone else’s property...you are hurting someone else when you sin.
–Do you think Adam and Eve really believed that their disobedience would have affected mankind in such a way...what do you think your trespassing is doing.
–What about those children who are watching you...what about the lost at work who desperately need salvation but see you compromising...you may be even proud of it.
–What about the neighbors who know your living arrangement does not line up with your Christian beliefs...your condition does not match your confession. Bad witness.
–Is it possible that our crossing fences is keeping people out of the Kingdom of God?
–You may have never thought about this verse having to do with boundaries but please stay with me: The previous verse talks about correcting a son...giving him fences.
Proverbs 29:18 (KJV)
18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Proverbs 29:18 (NKJV)
18 Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law.
Proverbs 29:18 (NLT)
18 When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful.
–You see, the fence or the boundary is vision, it is revelation, it is divine guidance and when the fence is crossed what happens...people perish, they run wild, and they cast off restraint.
3. So how are these boundaries or fences established in our lives?
–Proverbs 28:19 says we must have vision, we must have revelation, and we must have divine guidance...I guess the key would be...where do I find these things?
Also, let me throw in here...it is not always that we do not know where to get the revelation or guidance or vision as much as it is we just want to do our own thing. Where do I find them?
A. We get our boundaries thru our parents especially if they are godly Christians.
Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)
6 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
B. We get our boundaries from the Word of God and our study of it.
Psalm 119:10-11 (NLT)
10 I have tried hard to find you— don’t let me wander from your commands.
11 I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
C. We get our boundaries from being filled with Holy Spirit...we should never try to understand God’s Word without the leading of Holy Spirit.
John 16:5-8 (NLT)
5 "But now I am going away to the One who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going.
6 Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you.
7 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.
8 And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.
D. We get our boundaries by the conviction of Holy Spirit...He will convict of sin...He will show us how righteous God is...He will convince us of judgment to come.
–A danger we need to watch for is 1^st Generation believers have convictions born out of prayer...without prayer 2^nd Generation believers look at the convictions as tradition.
–With 3^rd Generation believers tradition becomes legalism that is used to beat people over the head with trying to keep folks in the fences of the church. Five steps to keep us in the boundaries.
1. Conversion - this is the gate - we must become new creatures in Christ...we must be changed.
2. Contrition - we must be willing to humble ourselves before God so He can lift us up. Humility needs to come back to the church...study the cross.
3. Consumption - we must tarry until He comes and wait until we are filled with Holy Spirit.
4. Conviction - we must allow Holy Spirit to convict us of sin, righteousness, and Jesus soon coming.
5. Confidence - we must have confidence in God that He will keep us from crossing the fence or falling.
Jude 1:20-25 (NIV)
20 But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.
21 Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
22 Be merciful to those who doubt;
23 snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear--hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
24 To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy--

25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

Fully Devoted - 5

Subject - Fully Devoted To Worship

by Rick Welbourne

Acts 2:42-47 (NIV) 

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.

44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 

45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 

46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,

47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

–So far we have looked at being fully devoted to the teaching of the Word of God, to the fellowship, to prayer, and to the breaking of bread.

–We have seen the blessing of being in fellowship with Christ and with each other. We have also looked at the benefit for missions when we are in fellowship together.

–Today we want to look at being fully devoted to worship. Let me clarify something.

–Worship is more than the 20 or 30 minutes we devote in a service to play and sing.

Worship is being fully devoted to God.

–True worship is the combination of all the points we have looked at in this series...Word, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer.

–In a traditional church service we tend to separate the parts of the service...opening prayer, announcements, quests, worship, prayer for sick, sermon, and altar call. Communion.

–Can I strongly encourage you to look at all these as worship...prayer - inviting Holy Spirit, announcements - connecting in fellowship, quests - connecting people to us.

–Worship - singing, playing, and lifting of hands, prayer for the sick - touching the hurting, sermon (the Word) and the altar call...Communion...all parts but all worship.

Romans 12:1 (NIV) 

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.

–OT worshipers brought their living sacrifice to the temple altar, it was killed, and worship was over...many of us do the same...we come and sing for 20 minutes and worship stops.

–We need to be living sacrifices and engaging in every part of the service...many parts but all together is worship. We need to do this with our lives...everything worship to Him.

1. We can fully devote ourselves to worship.

–Worship changes everything and in this case it ignited the church to be everything God intended for it to be.

–You see, we can hear a sermon, we can go to church together, we can even be systematic about communion, and we can have dry stale prayers...churches do it all the time.

–Unless there is an upward look...unless there is a magnification of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit...we have missed the whole purpose of being together.

Acts 2:46 (NLT) 

46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day...

–Why church...why fellowship...why communion...why prayer? So we can worship the King Who can change everything! Worshiped each day: Listen to the Psalmist David explain it:

Psalm 5:7-12 (NLT) 

7 Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house; I will worship at your Temple with deepest awe. 

8 Lead me in the right path, O LORD, or my enemies will conquer me. Make your way plain for me to follow.

9 My enemies cannot speak a truthful word. Their deepest desire is to destroy others. Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with flattery.

10 O God, declare them guilty. Let them be caught in their own traps. Drive them away because of their many sins, for they have rebelled against you.

11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy.

12 For you bless the godly, O LORD; you surround them with your shield of love.

–If I don’t come to Your house and worship, my enemies will conquer me. When I come and worship, You make Your way plain for me. I get direction.

–When I come to worship God drives my enemies away...remember we are the Temple...

Psalm 68:1-5 (NKJV) 

1 Let God arise, Let His enemies be scattered; Let those also who hate Him flee before Him.

2 As smoke is driven away, So drive them away; As wax melts before the fire, So let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

3 But let the righteous be glad; Let them rejoice before God; Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly.

4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Extol Him who rides on the clouds, By His name YAH, And rejoice before Him.

5 A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation.

–When I come to worship and when I worship until You come I can find refuge in you...I can find that hiding place from this nasty world.

Psalm 32:6-7 (NLT)

6 Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time, that they may not drown in the flood waters of judgment.

7 For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory.

–When we come to worship in God’s House He spreads His protection over us, that all who love your name may be filled with joy. For you bless the godly, O LORD; you surround them with your shield of love.

2. We must be faithful in worship.

Hebrews 10:19-25 (NLT) 

19 And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus.

20 By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.

21 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, 

22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.

24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.

25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

–How can we have trouble worshiping God in His House when He has obtained access for us into God’s presence by the blood of Jesus.

–The curtain that kept us away has now been torn and we can go boldly into God’s throne room and worship Him with all our hearts.

–Since Jesus is the High Priest who rules over the House of God...let us come in and worship Him with everything within us...How many believe He is worthy?

–Now is not the time to throw in the towel and give up...it is time to hang on tight and to not quit. Why? Because God can be trusted.

–Since we are in the last days let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works...what better way than coming to God’s House and worshiping with all our hearts.

–Here is the key we have been looking at all these weeks with the Word, fellowship, breaking bread, prayer, and worship:

Hebrews 10:25 (NLT) 

25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

–Don’t neglect being fully devoted to God in the Word, fellowship, breaking of bread, in prayer, and in worship. This is where we find the blessings.

3. Let’s look at the benefits of being fully devoted to worship.

A. The first benefit to being fully devoted is everyone is filled with awe...everyone has an awesome awareness of God. Everyone has a healthy fear of the Lord!

Acts 2:43 (NIV) 

43 Everyone was filled with awe...

Proverbs 1:7 (NKJV) 7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge...

Proverbs 8:13 (NKJV) 13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil...

Proverbs 9:10 (NKJV) 10 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom...

Proverbs 10:27 (NKJV) 27 The fear of the LORD prolongs days...

Proverbs 14:26 (NKJV) 26 In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence...

Proverbs 14:27 (NKJV) 27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life...

Proverbs 15:33 (NKJV) 33 The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom...

Proverbs 19:23 (NKJV) 23 The fear of the LORD leads to life...

–Lord, renew our awe of you and our fear of you and let us be aware of your awesome presence.

B. The second benefit or blessing will be many wonders and miraculous signs will be done by the apostles (leadership).

–If you were faithful to Wednesday night you would realize that you are a leader too!

Acts 2:43 (NIV) 

43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.

–When we devote ourselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer...God begins to do miracles.

–When we love the Word, when we love the fellowship (the church), when we love Jesus and have communion with Him and each other, when we love to pray...miracles..wonders.

Ephesians 4:1-4 (NLT)

1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.

2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.

3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.

4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.

–When we serve together as one, miracles take place.

C. The third benefit or blessing is that generosity flows from all we do as the church.

Acts 2:44-45 (NIV) 

44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 

45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 

–Needs will be met and people will be feeling loved and cared for. Generosity flows from an environment of selflessness. It flows from us to the world...to Missions!

–One of the reasons that Life Church is so blessed is because we are generous to the poor and to the World thru Missions...I commend you for your kindness.

D. The fourth benefit or blessing is there will be amazing church growth.

Acts 2:47 (NIV) 

47....And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. 

–Did he say daily? He did! This is a church working at the highest level...studying God’s Word and obeying...dedicated to the fellowship (to one another).

A church that breaks bread in fellowship, and in communion, praying together with and for one another. Worshiping. No wonder the church will grow in this kind of atmosphere.

Summary: When you are fully devoted to all these things in this series...you are a worshiper!

–When you are devoted to worship...the benefits begin to flow!

Leadership - Will You Lead - 5 - Continued

Subject - Leading Wherever You Are

by Rick Welbourne

Luke 6:39-42 (NKJV) 

39 And He spoke a parable to them: "Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?

40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.

41 And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?

42 Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye. 

Understanding and Overcoming The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lecioni

Dysfunction 1: Absence of Trust

A. Trust lies at the heart of a functioning, cohesive team. Without it, teamwork, is all but impossible. True with church, business, or home.

Lecioni - In the context of building a team, trust is the confidence among team members that their peer’s intentions are good, and that there is no reason to be protective or careful around the group. In essence, teammates must get comfortable being vulnerable with one another.

B. Characteristics of teams who trust one another.

–They admit weaknesses and mistakes...they ask for help. They accept questions and input about their areas of responsibilities.

–They give one another the benefit of the doubt before arriving at a negative conclusion.

They take risks in offering feedback and assistance.

–They appreciate and tap into one another’s skills and experiences. They focus time and energy on important issues, not politics.

–They offer and accept apologies without hesitation. Forgive and be forgiven. They look forward to meetings and other opportunities to work as a group.

How does this Absence of Trust connect to Dysfunction 2 - The Fear of Conflict?

–By building trust, a team makes conflict possible because team members do not hesitate to engage in passionate and sometimes emotional debate, knowing that they will not be punished for saying something that might otherwise be interpreted as destructive or critical. Respect is key.

Dysfunction 2 - The Fear of Conflict

A. All great relationships, the ones that last over time, require productive conflict in order to grow. This is true in marriage, church, parenthood, friendship, and business.

Lencioni: It is also ironic that so many people avoid conflict in the name of efficiency, because healthy conflict is actually a time saver. Contrary to the notion that teams waste time and energy arguing, those who avoid conflict actually doom themselves to revisiting issues again and again without resolution.

B. Teams that engage in healthy conflict have lively, interesting meetings. They extract and exploit the ideas of all team members. They solve real problems quickly.

Connection the Fear of Conflict has to Dysfunction 3: The Lack of Commitment

–By engaging in productive conflict and tapping into team member’s perspectives and opinions, a team can confidently commit and buy into a decision knowing that they have benefitted from everyone’s ideas.

Dysfunction 3: The Lack of Commitment

A. In the context of a team, commitment is a function of two things: clarity and buy-in.

Lencioni: Great teams understand the danger of consensus, and find ways to achieve buy-in even when complete agreement is impossible. They understand reasonable human beings do not need to get their way in order to support a decision, but only need to know that their opinions have been heard and considered.

B. A team that commits creates clarity around direction and priorities. Aligns the entire team around common objectives. Develops an ability to learn from mistakes.

–Takes advantage of opportunities. Moves forward without hesitation. Changes direction without hesitation or guilt.

C. The leader must be willing to make mistakes and then show strength by a willingness to admit it and then change direction with confidence.

Connection to Dysfunction 4: Avoidance of Accountability

–In order for teammates to call each other on their behaviors and actions, they must have a clear sense of what is expected.

–Even the most ardent believers in accountability usually balk at having to hold someone accountable for something that was never bought into or made clear in the first place. More information is better than less.

Dysfunction 4: Avoidance of Accountability

A. In the context of teamwork, accountability refers specifically to the willingness of team members to call their peers on performance or behaviors that might hurt the team.

B. Great teams are willing to push past their own comfort zone to confront a team member with their performance...this is scary for some. Nathan and David:

2 Samuel 12:1-10 (NKJV) 

1 Then the LORD sent Nathan to David. And he came to him, and said to him: "There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor.

2 The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds.

3 But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him. 

　

4 And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him." 

5 So David's anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, "As the LORD lives, the man who has done this shall surely die!

6 And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity."

7 Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul.

8 I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more!

9 Why have you despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon.

10 Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.'

C. This is especially difficult for teams who have been together for long periods of time because of fear of jeopardizing friendships.

D. In reality, the better friend is the one who is willing to point out areas of weakness and then be willing to help you through it.

E. As politically incorrect as it may sound, the most effective and efficient means of maintaining high standards of performance on a team is peer pressure.

F. A team that avoids accountability:

–Creates resentment among team members who have different standards of performance.

Encourages mediocrity. No expectation - no production.

–Misses deadlines and key delivery. Places an undue burden on the team leader as the sole source of discipline. The leader becomes the bad guy or the fall guy.

G. A team that holds one another accountable:

　

–Ensures that poor performers feel pressure to improve. Identifies potential problems quickly by questioning one another’s approaches without hesitation.

–Establishes respect among team members who are held to the same high standards.

Avoids excessive bureaucracy around performance management...avoids favoritism.

H. One of the most difficult challenges of a leader is to allow the leadership team to serve as the first and primary accountability mechanism.

Connection to Dysfunction 5: Inattention to Results

–If teammates are not being held accountable for their contributions, they will be more likely to turn their attention to their own needs, and to the advancement of themselves or their departments. 

–An absence of accountability is an invitation to team members to shift their attention to areas other than collective results. The good of the whole.

Dysfunction 5: Inattention to Results

A. The ultimate dysfunction of a team is the tendency of members to care about something other than the collective goals of the group...lack of unity.

B. An unrelenting focus on specific objectives and clearly defined outcomes are

requirements for any team that judges itself on performance.

C. The results mentioned here are not just measured in financial terms but also is

determined by out-come based performance.

–Not just were we within budget but was our goals met.

D. A team that is not focused on results:

–Stagnates or fails to grow. Rarely defeats competitors. Loses achievement oriented employees.

–Encourages team members to focus on their own careers and individual goals. Is easily distracted.

E. A team that focuses on collective results: 

–Retains achievement oriented employees. Minimizes individualistic behavior. Enjoys success and suffers failure acutely.

–Benefits from individuals who subjugate their own goals/interests for the good of the team, the business, the church. Avoids distractions. Parable of the talents.

F. How does a team go about ensuring that its attention is focused on results? By making results clear, and rewarding only those behaviors and actions that contribute to those results.

G. The team leader must keep the team focused on results and model this diligence before them holding them to the same standard.

–Ultimately teamwork comes down to practicing a small set of principles over a long period of time embracing common sense with uncommon levels of discipline and persistence. Also, they must be bonded together by the Holy Spirit.

–The 120 on the Day of Pentecost is a great example of unity combined with Holy Spirit!

Fully Devoted - 4

Subject - Fully Devoted To Breaking Of Bread

by Rick Welbourne

Acts 2:42-47 (NIV) 

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.

44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 

45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 

46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,

47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

–So far we have looked at being fully devoted to the teaching of the Word of God, to the fellowship, and to prayer.

–We have seen the blessing of being in fellowship with Christ and with each other. We have also looked at the benefit for missions when we are in fellowship together.

–Today we want to look at being fully devoted to the breaking of bread...people have argued for centuries and still do today...is this the Lord’s Supper or just eating together?

–I personally believe that these verses are all encompassing when it comes to breaking bread...I believe it is speaking of Christ’s body and His blood...What we call Communion.

–I also believe it is speaking about the body of Christ (the Church) and I also believe it is speaking about those who are hungry and are not yet in the body of Christ...let’s look.

1. Being fully devoted to the breaking of bread is a recognition of the body of Jesus...the Bread of Life!

–When you look at the body of Jesus (His physical body and sacrifice) it demands a response.

–I do believe this is a direct reference to recognizing what Jesus instituted and what we refer to the Lord’s Supper or Communion.

Luke 22:19 (NLT) 

19 He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me."

Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible: They frequently joined in the ordinance of the Lord's supper. They continued in the breaking of bread, in celebrating that memorial of their Master's death, as those that were not ashamed to own their relation to, and their dependence upon, Christ and him crucified. They could not forget the death of Christ, yet they kept up this memorial of it, and made it their constant practice, because it was an institution of Christ, to be transmitted to the succeeding ages of the church. 

–They broke bread from house to house or house by house; they did not think fit to celebrate the eucharist (Lord’s Supper) in the temple. Why?

–Because it was recently established by Jesus and was unique to the Christian Church...it would not have been accepted in the temples or synagogues.

–Where two or three are gathered Jesus is there and therefore you have church...their private homes were their churches...early house churches before it was popular.

–What I find so cool about this is that they were simply following the Word from Jesus:

Luke 22:19 (NIV) 

19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."

–The breaking of bread is something we do to help us remember Jesus and the price He paid for us.

Thru The Bible with J. Vernon McGee - I have a little booklet called the Spiritual Fingerprints of the Visible Church. How can you identify a real church? Notice the four marks of identification...The third, breaking of bread. Breaking of bread is more than just going through the ritual of the Lord's Supper. It means being brought into a fellowship and a relationship with Christ.

–I truly believe that during a time of communion as we will have in a little while that it should be a time of revelation of Jesus Christ.

Luke 24:30-35 (NKJV) 

30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.

31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.

32 And they said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?"

33 So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together,

34 saying, "The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" 

35 And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread.

–He was known to them in the breaking of bread...how awesome is that. Listen to what happens when they repeat their story:

Luke 24:35-36 (NLT) 

35 Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road, and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread.

36 And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. "Peace be with you," he said.

1 Corinthians 10:16-17 (NLT) 

16 When we bless the cup at the Lord’s Table, aren’t we sharing in the blood of Christ? And when we break the bread, aren’t we sharing in the body of Christ?

17 And though we are many, we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body.

2. Being fully devoted to the breaking of bread is the recognition of the body of Christ...The Church.

–When you look (I mean really look) at the body of Christ (the Church) it demands a response.

Romans 12:4-5 (NKJV) 

4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function,

5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.

–Remember this entire series is about the importance of the Church and how much we need each other...The Body comes together to partake of Christ...the Bread of Life.

1 Corinthians 12:12-14 (NLT) 

12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.

13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 

–Paul begins to talk about the different parts...if the foot said I am not a hand...if the whole body was an eye where would the hearing be...each of us are all parts of the same loaf.

–We realize we are all parts of the body of Christ and how foolish would it be to cut off a hand, a foot, even a little toe which gives us balance...we need each other. What pain!

–When we do this the world looks at us as though something is missing...why? Because we cut off the end of the loaf that is a heel.

1 Corinthians 12:25-27 (NLT) 

25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other.

26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. 

–If Jesus is the head of the church and He is the Bread of Life that means that we are connected to Him...we are part of the same loaf even if you only feel like a crumb.

–We need each other...we need the flavor you bring...we need your nourishment...to operate and to support missions we need your dough.

–God has given us gifts to build up the body of Christ and we need to be careful how we treat them.

Ephesians 4:11-12 (NLT)

11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.

12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.

3. Being fully devoted to the breaking of bread is the recognition of those who are hungry having no Shepherd.

–When you really look at the hungry, the hurting, and the lost it demands a response. Don’t you believe they deserve the Bread of Life that you have.

Mark 6:34-44 (NLT) 

34 Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

35 Late in the afternoon his disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late.

36 Send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and villages and buy something to eat."

37 But Jesus said, "You feed them." "With what?" they asked. "We’d have to work for months to earn enough money to buy food for all these people!"

38 "How much bread do you have?" he asked. "Go and find out." They came back and reported, "We have five loaves of bread and two fish."

39 Then Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down in groups on the green grass.

40 So they sat down in groups of fifty or a hundred. 

41 Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. He also divided the fish for everyone to share.

42 They all ate as much as they wanted, 

43 and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish.

44 A total of 5,000 men and their families were fed from those loaves! 

–It is so mazing to me how much these principle keep showing up that we are talking about.

–Jesus had compassion on them and what did He do...He started teaching them...they were lost...sheep with no shepherd.

–The disciples (let’s say the church) recognized the hunger in the people but they had no answer or solution...send them away so they can feed themselves.

–There are a lot of problems with that...the first is that the disciples (the church) had no compassion on their condition.

–There second answer to the problem was to simply send them away and let them fend for themselves...They did not see their hunger was deeper than just physical hunger.

–Jesus instruction to the disciples (the church) was "You feed them!" Why does your pastor try so hard to support more and more missionaries around the world...Jesus said You feed them!

–Another problem the disciples (the church) has is that they do not understand their source. We do not have food and we do not have money...Oh, but who they had was Jesus and He is the Bread of life.

–Jesus says "Give me what you have"...well I don’t have much...ok, give me what you have...I can’t do much for missions...do what you can and Jesus will do what you can’t.

–You see when Jesus teaches the body (the church) to be broken and given out miracles take place.

–How can I say this...the Bread of Life blesses the bread He already has (His body and His church) and they share Him with them they become part of the same loaf.

–It is a miracle of multiplication. From His hands to our hands and then to theirs...they break bread together and salvation comes.

–How do you reach the lost...You feed them...break bread with them...buy them lunch...take food when they are sick or recovering.

–People will sit down and eat with you when they will not come to church...people will tell you their life stories when you feed them.

–You want people saved...You feed them! Have a House of Hope and feed them...I recently had one of our new church attenders say the way I was introduced to your church body was thru the House of Hope.

–You feed them! Remember the first week...what are you eating? You can’t feed them unless you are partaking of the Bread of life.