LFM – 2016 May 22: Why Bother being a Servant or True Disciple of God?

LFM – 22 May 2016

 

Last week –> Moving on to the next level as Servants of God  / Being True Disciples

 

• Graduation message
  • Simple messenger –> Its not about the teacher / preacher
  • Simple message –> Its not about complicating the message
  • Powerful God –>  Focus on an encounter with the Power of God

 

Why do we bother with all this, trying to be a servant or a true disciple of God?

• Why bother waking up to attend Church on this cold Sunday morning?
• Why bother lead bible study on Sunday’s when I am not seeing any visible results of people understanding or being changed by the study?
• Maisha ni kujipanga, all others tukutane mbele

 

• Philippians 3:14 (NKJV) / (BHN)

I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Basi, nimo mbioni kuelekea lengo langu, ili nipate lile tuzo, ambalo ni mwito wa Mungu kwa maisha ya juu kwa njia ya Kristo Yesu.

 

• There is a Goal & Prize that we focus on in the upward call / next level
• Like public demonstrations — They are pressing towards a goal — despite circumstances
• Maandamano ya kugatua IEBC –
• For us / na sisi –> Bado mapambano na vitu ya dunia
• The prize is promised … And the Lord is not a man that He should lie….(  )

 

Created to worship and bring glory to God

• True disciple –> Life Glorifies God –> Bearing much fruit (harvest) –> Deep strong foundations in good soil = Hearing & Understanding the Word
• John 15:7-8 (NLT) / (BHN)

7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

7Mkikaa ndani yangu na maneno yangu yakikaa ndani yenu, basi, ombeni chochote mtakacho nanyi mtapewa. 8Baba yangu hutukuzwa kama mkizaa matunda mengi na kuwa wanafunzi wangu.

 

For us to reach out for big Goals for the Big Prize:

• We need deep & strong foundations
• The strength of our foundation determines the level we are able to reach
• Ability to listen and obey with a humble heart –> God will guide us to victory….He knows the way
• Buildings za Huruma – Weak foundations that can’t withstand storms of life
• What have I given God to build on?
• –> He throws a seed and nothing grows (Word) – Can’t follow instructions
• –> He tries to build & I collapse under His blessings e.g. wealth

 

Goal & Prize

Next Level requires focus on:

1. Fruit production through Jesus – Maisha yangu inaonyesha matunda gani? / my Testimony ?

• It’s all about Jesus, the true vine – We are branches that require Him to produce fruit
• The Power of God that works in us & through us
• John 12:32

If He be lifted up, He will draw all people to Himself

Nami nitakapoinuliwa juu ya nchi nitamvuta kila mmoja kwangu.”

Have I lifted Jesus up in my life?

 

• My wife’s testimony — tulijaribu kivyetu, tukashindwa
• Life put us in a box / corner with no way out!
• Weka Mungu mbele na enda tena –>  We saw the fruits of faith & trusting God
• Attaching ourselves / Relying on Jesus should produce both spiritual and physical fruits

 

2. Holy Spirit Guidance

John 14:26

The Father will send the helper in Jesus name to teach and remind us of His Word.

lakini Msaidizi, Roho Mtakatifu, ambaye Baba atamtuma kwa jina langu, atawafundisheni kila kitu na kuwakumbusheni yote niliyowaambieni.

 

• Do I hear & obey / Am I guided by the voice of God? –> Frequency of Heaven
• Wife’s testimony, it was the Holy Spirit speaking through Pastor David
• It was for us to listen & obey – humble ourselves & follow instructions
• Need to develop it for ourselves

 

 

3. Word of God –>  Purifies & Sanctifies — John 15:3

3Nyinyi mmekwisha kuwa safi kwa sababu ya ule ujumbe niliowaambieni

 

• An often painful process – Kugharamia –> Hebrews 4:12 (BHN)

Neno la Mungu ni hai na lina nguvu; ni kali kuliko upanga wenye makali kuwili. Hukata kabisa mpaka mahali ambapo moyo na roho hukutana, mpaka pale vikutanapo viungo vya mwili na uboho. Neno hilo huchambua nia na fikira za mioyo ya watu.

 

Why go through all this trouble?

What is the benefit of trusting and following the Lord?

Questions I am sure we ask ourselves — tunajiuluza?

Hii uokovu, nikiingia, itakuaje? Niwache vitu ninazozipenda?

Hawa wakristo wanakaanga wana teseka na huo Ukristo?

Hii Ukristo innaniwekanga bampa – siwezi kuenjoy maisha

Will following Jesus prevent me from enjoying life?

 

Wache nijienjoy tu, tutakutana na Yesu mbele

 

2 Peter 2: 20-22 (NLT) (BHN)

20 And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before.21 It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life. 22 They prove the truth of this proverb: “A dog returns to its vomit.”[g] And another says, “A washed pig returns to the mud.”

20Watu waliokwisha ponyoka katika upotovu wa ulimwengu kwa kupata kumjua Bwana na Mwokozi wetu Yesu Kristo, kisha wakakubali kunaswa na kutawaliwa tena na upotovu huo, hali yao itakuwa mbaya zaidi kuliko awali. 21Ingalikuwa afadhali kwao kama wasingalijua kamwe njia hiyo ya uadilifu kuliko kuijua na kisha kuiacha na kupoteza amri takatifu waliyopokea. 22Ipo methali isemayo: “Mbwa huyarudia matapishi yake mwenyewe,” na nyingine isemayo: “Nguruwe aliyekwisha oshwa hugaagaa tena katika matope!” Ndivyo ilivyo kwao sasa.

• We usually look for Jesus when we are in a problem
• Yesu, ukinifanyia hii / ukiniokoa –>  nitakufuata, nitafanya hii na hii
• Anapotusaidia –Tunasahau — tunamwambia tukutane mbele
• My own testimony – Bibi, Mja mzito, Cancer, huna pesa, option ni kifo wote
• –> How I found God when I was in a problem
• –> Question: Do I continue in the same path of before or change to Jesus?
• Maybe the trial was to have me change direction –> Repentance

 

We have the answer in history

 

2 Peter 2: 4-9 (NLT) / (BHN)

 

4 For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell,[a] in gloomy pits of darkness,[b] where they are being held until the day of judgment. 5 And God did not spare the ancient world—except for Noah and the seven others in his family. Noah warned the world of God’s righteous judgment. So God protected Noah when he destroyed the world of ungodly people with a vast flood. 6 Later, God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and turned them into heaps of ashes. He made them an example of what will happen to ungodly people. 7 But God also rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a righteous man who was sick of the shameful immorality of the wicked people around him.8 Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day. 9 So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment.

4Malaika walipotenda dhambi, Mungu hakuwahurumia, bali aliwatupa katika moto wa Jehanamu ambako wamefungwa wakingojea siku ile ya hukumu.5Mungu hakuihurumia dunia ya hapo kale, bali alileta gharika kuu juu ya nchi ile ya watu wasiomcha Mungu; lakini Noa ambaye alihubiri uadilifu, Mungu alimwokoa pamoja na watu wengine saba. 6Mungu aliiadhibu miji ya Sodoma na Gomora, akaiteketeza kwa moto, akaifanya iwe mfano wa mambo yatakayowapata watu wasiomcha Mungu. 7Alimwokoa Loti, mtu mwema, ambaye alisikitishwa sana na mwenendo mbaya wa watu hao waasi. 8Loti aliishi miongoni mwa watu hao, na kwa siku nyingi moyo wake ulikuwa katika wasiwasi mkuu aliposikia matendo yao maovu. 9Kwa hiyo, basi, Bwana anajua jinsi ya kuwaokoa katika majaribu watu wanaomcha Mungu, na jinsi ya kuwaweka waovu katika adhabu hadi siku ile ya hukumu,

 

 

 

Looking at history, God will save those who fear Him.

• Who do I think I am if à The angels who sinned were not spared?
• Noah was an obedient servant of God and was spared
• Sodom & Gomorrah was an example of what would happen to ungodly people
• But Lot was saved from Sodom because he despised evil
• God knows our heart , he is a just God and he knows how he will save Godly people

 

 

But we should be comforted, even if we don’t understand because

 

Deuteronomy 32:4 (NLT) / (BHM)

 

He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!

“Mwenyezi-Mungu ni Mwamba wa usalama; kazi zake ni kamilifu, njia zake zote ni za haki. Yeye ni Mungu mwaminifu asiye na kosa, yeye hufanya mambo ya uadilifu na ya haki.

 

Isaiah 55:6-9 (NLT) / (BHN)

 

6 Seek the Lord while you can find him.     Call on him now while he is near. 7 Let the wicked change their ways     and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them.     Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously. 8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.     “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,     so my ways are higher than your ways     and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

6Mtafuteni Mwenyezi-Mungu wakati bado anapatikana, mwombeni msaada wakati yupo bado karibu. 7Waovu na waache njia zao mbaya, watu wabaya waachane na mawazo yao mabaya; wamrudie Mwenyezi-Mungu apate kuwahurumia, wamwendee Mungu wetu maana atawasamehe. 8Maana, Mwenyezi-Mungu asema hivi: “Mawazo yangu si kama mawazo yenu, wala njia zangu si kama njia zenu. 9Kama vile mbingu zilivyo mbali na dunia, ndivyo njia zangu zilivyo mbali na zenu, na mawazo yangu mbali na mawazo yenu.

 

It was God’s Mercy & Grace kuniweka kwa box, saving me from a life of not knowing Him

God telling us to change our ways is like:

• Trying to reason with a child, moto ni mbaya, itakudhuru (fire is dangerous, it will hurt you).
• They don’t understand, but we as their parents, we do
• Same with God and us.
• Our reasoning with God will be like a child trying to reason with the parent.

 

Psalm 73 summarises the thoughts that trouble us

• All this struggle to follow God, is it worth it?
• Those that don’t struggle in God’s ways seem to prosper
  • Hata mimi sasa nataka kuwa MCA term moja , hata mimi nikule

 

• But God’s ways ALWAYS prevails

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

• Pleases / Glorifies God
• Wages of sin is death
• God is faithful & Just
• God’s plans for us are for our good, to give us a future and a hope

Prayer points…..

Lord Empower us to :

• Be faithful servants
• to be true disciples
• to press towards the goal of the higher calling
• to reach the prize

May we develop in Christ Jesus

• Strong & deep foundations
• a heart of humility that listens and is obedient

May the Lord guide us to the abundant life….

May Jesus be the center of all aspects of our lives…

Power of God work in us & through us…

Producing good fruit…

Filled with the power of the Holy Spirit…

Spirit led life…

Word purify & sanctify…

Thank you for your faithfulness & justice…

Your mercy endures forever…

Create in us a clean heart….