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MESSAGE ONE
THE LORD’S PRAYER
ALTERNATE TITLES:
PRAYING THE LORD’S PRAYER
8 TRUTHS ABOUT THE LORD’S PRAYER
UNDERSTANDING THE LORD’S PRAYER
PRAYER BASICS 101

HUMOROUS INTRODUCTION -- Two secretaries were taking a tea break when

they began to talk about their respective churches.

"I never knew you went to church," said the first one. "I'll bet you twenty dollars
you can't even recite the Lord's prayer."

"Oh yes, I CAN," said the second.

"Well, then, let's HEAR it," said the first.

The second one began, "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray Thee, Lord, my soul to
keep..."

The first secretary listened with astonishment. "Wow!" she said. "Here's your
twenty dollars. I sure didn't think you knew it!" (Elbourne Illustrations)

TRANSITION – Well let me tell you, if you just happen to know the real Lord’s
prayer, I want to encourage you to blow the dust off it and begin unleashing the
tremendous power that is available through it. Let’s read it from the Gospel of
Matthew.

TEXT -- Matthew 6: 9 In this manner, therefore, pray:

      Our Father in heaven,
      Hallowed be Your name.
       10 Your kingdom come.
      Your will be done
      On earth as it is in heaven.
       11 Give us this day our daily bread.
       12 And forgive us our debts,
      As we forgive our debtors.
       13 And do not lead us into temptation,
      But deliver us from the evil one.
      For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

TRANSITION – We call this passage the Lord’s prayer because it is the prayer the
Lord taught his disciples to pray. It is no learning to recite it but to pray it in faith
and to live by it. This prayer is very powerful because it targets our prayers in
some very important areas. Through praying this prayer we begin to focus upon:

Through praying this prayer we begin to focus upon:

I. THE FATHERHOOD OF GOD
“Our Father in heaven,”

In the Christian life we relate to God on different levels. These are borne out in
the Bible.

A. A servant
B. A friend
C. A Son

We make a great advance in our walk with God when we receive the revelation
that He is our Heavenly Father. It is then we experience great security and agree
with the cry of the Holy Spirit within us who cries out through us “Abba.” This is
the word that means “Daddy” or “Papa.”

Jesus modeled for us how he lived in communion with His Father. It is through
viewing God as Father that we begin to understand the depth of His intimate love
for us.
Through praying this prayer we begin to focus upon:
II. THE HOLINESS OF GOD
“Hallowed be Your name.”

-The holiness of God is one of the foundational attributes of the nature and
character of God. He is altogether “whole” and “holy.”
-He possesses none of the attributes of evil and is the source of all goodness.
-Sin is not found in Him nor can it abide near Him.
-In declaring the holiness of God in our approach to Him, we acknowledge His
transcendent goodness and perfection. His moral virtues are without even the
reflection of a flaw.

As his creation, we Hallow His Name!

God is above and beyond all--He is holy!

Through praying this prayer we begin to focus upon:

III. THE RULE OF GOD
“  10 Your kingdom come.
      Your will be done
      On earth as it is in heaven.”

-Desire to do and promote God’s will.

Question: Do you want God to be in charge of the world? Then, is He in charge of

your life?

Through praying this prayer we begin to focus upon:

IV. THE PROVISIONS OF GOD
“       11 Give us this day our daily bread. “

-Acknowledgement of where our blessings come. He is our Provider.

-The fact that our pantries are full should cause us to pray all the more--
thanksgiving!
Illus-Man who always prayed for God to help the poor but never helped them
himself. His little boy told him one day. “Daddy, I wish I had your corn crib. then I
could answer your prayer.”

Through praying this prayer we begin to focus upon:

V. THE FORGIVENESS OF GOD
“12 And forgive us our debts,
      As we forgive our debtors.”

A. Forgiveness received
Our loving Father God sees us through the blood of Jesus not through our sins.
B. Forgiveness given
Because we have received forgiveness, we are to pass it on. Otherwise, we close
our hearts to the effects of the forgiveness we so desperately need.

Question: Is there someone you need to forgive? Do not refuse to do so.

Through praying this prayer we begin to focus upon:

VI. THE GUIDANCE OF GOD
“       13 And do not lead us into temptation,”

-This is another facet of learning to walk with God. You rest in the knowledge that
He knows what you need better than you know yourself. You also realize that He
knows your weaknesses better than you know them yourself.

Through praying this prayer we begin to focus upon:

VII. THE PROTECTION OF GOD
“      But deliver us from the evil one.”

-Awareness of Satan’s schemes and our own soul’s snares.

-This is something we fo not appreciate unless we feel its absence.

Through praying this prayer we begin to focus upon:

VIII. THE GLORY OF GOD
“For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
In the end--He is all in all.
When the show is over--God’s glory will be at center stage.
CONCLUSION – After having shared all this with you, let me conclude by simply
saying, “The proof and power of this prayer is discovered through the praying of
it.”

MESSAGE TWO
THREE THINGS WE ALL NEED
ALTERNATE TITLES:
HUMAN HEART BASICS
HEART YEARNINGS
THREE YEARNINGS OF THE HUMAN HEART
WHAT WE ALL NEED THAT WE CAN ALL HAVE

INTRODUCTION:
The wishbones wish somebody else would do the work.
The jawbones talk a lot about what they are going to do but do little else.
The knucklebones knock what everyone else does.
The funny bones. You ask them to do something and they just look at you funny.
The backbones actually do the work.

TRANSITION: God wants us all to be backbones. He wants us all to be involved in

what He is doing in this world. Listen, God is at work in Florence, Alabama. He
wants you to join Him. What is it that keeps us from diving in, catching a wave,
and surfing for Jesus.

I am glad that you chose to be here tonight. You could have stayed home and
been a couch potato, but you chose to come and be blessed.

THREE THINGS THAT WE ALL WANT AND WE ALL NEED AND WE CAN ALL HAVE:

The first thing we all need is:

1. ACCEPTANCE
Ephesians 1:3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has
blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly [places] in Christ, 4 just
as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be
holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption
as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6
to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in
the Beloved .

What is the opposite of being accepted? It is being rejected! Rejection is a

powerful thing. It’s amazing what we will do to impress people and be accepted.

Humor- A Major was assigned to a new office on a military base. While working to
set up his office a Private knocked on his door. The Major quickly picked up the
phone and motioned for the Private to enter. On the phone the Major said, “Yes
sir, General Schwarzkopf, I think that is an excellent idea. (Pause) No sir, that’s
fine, you call me any time, I’m glad I could help. (Pause) Yes sir, I will, and you give
my best to your family as well. Thank you sir, and a good day to you too, General
Schwarzkopf.”
As the Major hung up the phone he turned to the Private and asked, “What can I
do for you Private?” Rather embarrassed, the Private mumbled, “Uh, sir, I’m just
here to hook up the phone.”

Personal Testimony(You can use this as an illustration about a “Pastor in

Seminary)--I was really shy as a child and still am in a lot of ways. I had a partially
cleft lip until after I was married. I struggled to accept who I was.
Until recently I struggled with a great sense of unworthiness. I found myself in a
“penance based” belief system. Not that I would have said it, but my actions
indicated that I still tried to earn God’s acceptance. I thought that I had to do
something for Him before He would do something for me. It was in my second
year of seminary that I began experiencing significant breakthrough. I was reading
a book required by Dr. Wilkes in the class entitled “The Holy Spirit and Devotional
Life.” The book was written by a godly Chinese pastor by the name of Watchman
Nee and was entitled “The Normal Christian Life.” In that book there was a section
about the blood of Jesus Christ and how much that it was valued by God the
Father. It was at that point that I received into my spirit that I was accepted by
God the Father on the basis of what Jesus had done; not my own merit. I did not
have to earn God’s love. I had it. God accepted me. This truth I had known in my
head was suddenly made real in my heart! This is the revelation that changes
trying to trusting and achieving to receiving.

The person who suffered the worst rejection is the Lord Jesus. The world spit in
his face and His Father had to turn away from him.
He understands our need to be accepted.

The second thing we all need is:

2. AFFECTION
Mark 10:13 Jesus Blesses Little Children
Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the
disciples rebuked those who brought them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, He was
greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do
not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.

The Power of Touch

Illus--A study was done among infant orphans in Europe after the war. It was
discovered that those babies that were caressed and handled survived. But the
babies who received no physical touch died, even though they were fed. Human
beings need affection. We need to be touched. The Bible says “Jesus is touched
with the feelings of our infirmities.” (Heb. 4:13)

Illus-One Sunday in a church service as a Deacon was passing the offering plate
from one row of pews to the next. He felt led to gently reach out and touch and
lightly grasp the shoulder of a doctor who sat at the end of the row. The doctor
had recently gone through his second divorce. Later in the day he called the
Deacon’s home and asked him to meet him at his office. When the Deacon arrived
and entered the office he found the doctor weeping. The broken hearted
physician began sharing with the caring deacon how much that “touch” meant to
him. He was falling apart on the inside and needed to know that someone cared.

Think of the people in the Scripture who were touched by one touch of Jesus.
How many people do we know that are falling apart on the inside and simply
need a touch of affirming love?

How many people are filled with fear and need to know they are not alone?
Humor-Little girl was frightened one night during a thunderstorm. She came and
crawled into Daddy and Mommy’s bed. The mon told her “Honey, don’t be
scared. God is in there with you. The little girl said “Mommy, why don’t I sleep
here with Daddy and you go in there with God.” We all need to feel close to other
people.

Many times we are insensitive. The church is the one place you ought to be able
to come and be loved.

The third thing we all need is:

3. APPRECIATION
Luke 7:44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this
woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet , but she has
washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 45 You
gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I
came in. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My
feet with fragrant oil. 47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are
forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."

There is a shortage of the attitude of gratitude.

What has created this attitude? Receiving without giving.

APPLICATION: The principle of reciprocation. Whatever you give will come back to
you. Give to someone else what your heart needs and you will receive it back
multiplied.

A. We tend to reject those who reject us.

B. We tend to hate those who hate us.
C. We tend to be most ungrateful to those who most unconditionally give to us.

Charles Swindoll, “I am convinced that life is ten percent what happens to me and
ninety percent how I react to it.”
Take some steps of faith right now. Move toward God. It’s hard to steer a parked
car, you need to take a step toward God and then you will experience Him leading
your life.

CONCLUSION:
We all need to acceptance, affection, and appreciation. And we can all give it to
someone else. As believers, we all have these three important things in our
relationship with God. We need to receive from Him and we will have to give to
others as well.

Lead the people in a time of thanking God for His love and acceptance. Think of
someone that you can express appreciation to.

MESSAGE THREE
RIGHT PLUS MIGHT!
ALTERNATE TITLES:
OPERATING IN YOUR GOD GIVEN AUTHORITY
LEARNING TO LIVE UNDER AUTHORITY AND WITH AUTHORITY
UNDERSTANDING AUTHORITY
KNOWING WHO BACKS YOU UP!

INTRODUCTION—A police officer can stop four lanes of traffic while a hitchhiker
can’t stop one single vehicle. Why is that? It is because the police officer has been
invested with authority. Of course, a single vehicle could run over him, but then
the power of the entire State which he serves is behind him to back him up. We
pull over when the blue light behind us starts flashing because of the authority it
represents.

We too, as God’s officers in the Earth, have been given spiritual authority.

The Greek word for authority is exousia and it means right plus might. It speaks of
position plus power, standing plus strength. It speaks of having been given
executive power. Position with the power to advance the kingdom of God on
earth. That’s what we have as believers—RIGHT + MIGHT.
Listen to the following scriptures:

Matthew 16: 19And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and
whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever
thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Matthew 18: 18Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be
bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in
heaven. 19Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as
touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father
which is in heaven. 20For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them.

NOTICE:
1. WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN FAMILY AUTHORITY
John 1:12
You have to become a child of God. Are you saved?
A. You have the family name (Christian)
Illus-Ole mountaineer (are you a Christian, lost, are you ready for judgment
day)

B. B. You have the family seal

C. You have the family inheritance

D. You have the family home (John 14:1-3)

Declaration: I am a Christian, a child of God. I have what God says I have. I can do
what God says I can do. I can be who God says I can be.

NOTICE SECONDLY:
2. WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN WARFARE AUTHORITY
Luke 10:19
Rev. 12:11

You have been given authority over the enemy. Are you living in victory?
July 4, 1776 a declaration was made and the battle began. Because the battle was
won, then every citizen could proclaim it as a realized truth.

WWII ILLUS—General Wainwright who was the ranking prisoner commander in a

Japanese Prison of war camp, upon learning of the Americans victory over Japan
walked with a limp and a swagger into the commandant’s office. He told him with
forthrightness, “My commander in chief has defeated your commander in chief,
so I am in charge here now.”
This is true of we believers. Our commander in chief has defeated the enemie’s
commander in chief and we are in charge here now! (I first heard this taught by
Ed Silvosa in the THAT NONE SHOULD PERISH series)

You don’t have to live in subjection to fear, lust, greed, indulgence, rejection,
condemnation, etc.

NOTICE THIRDLY:
3. WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN KINGDOM BUILDING AUTHORITY
Matthew 28:18-20
Acts 1:8
Acts 26:18
You have been commissioned to win the world.

ILLUS—We not only are ambassadors representing our King but we are like living
embassies. Wherever we are, because God rules in our hearts, we have authority
and immunity from the enemy. Think of it-- The Earth is the Lord’s and the
fullness thereof! This is rightfully His place here and He has dispatched us to
expand His Kingdom rule.

Are you sharing your faith?

If you have been entrusted with this kind of authority, shouldn’t there be victory
in your life?
Pray the Lord’s Prayer—Note Thy Kingdom come, --Thine is the kingdom, power
Matthew 6:9-13

Invitation: Repent, Recognize, Receive, Reach out

 MESSAGE FOUR
AM I READY FOR REVIVAL?
ALTERNATE TITLES:
FIVE QUESTIONS AND THE COST OF REVIVAL
THE WARFARE BEFORE THE VICTORY
WHAT IT WILL COST YOU TO EXPERIENCE REVIVAL?
REAL REVIVAL BRING REAL RESISTANCE

INTRODUCTORY QUESTION: Do we have the spiritual foundation and character to

properly respond to a move of God? Are we ready for a move of God?

1. Are we willing to handle the rejection and criticism that will

rise up against a move of God?

Illus—There was once a well know evangelist who was experiencing success in his
ministry. It seemed revival broke out when he ministered at a place. However, his
inlaws were upset at the nature of the revivals that broke out and their effect on
people. They were embarrassed by him. His mother-in-law told asked him sternly,
“You are not about to drag my daughter off into that crowd are you? Those holy
rollers are just trash that other churches have thrown away.”
Her words so discouraged him that he cancelled a year of meetings. During that
year his wife died and within the same 24 hours his little girl died because of
conditions created by a flood that swept through their hometown in Ohio. Had he
been at the meetings this would not have happened?

People are not going to understand you! We are to be different. Not for the sake
of offending people. When God begins to rend human hearts with the power of
His conviction, people become broken and desperate. When people become
broken and desperate, they become unconcerned about what other people think.

I think the historical record of the Great Awakenings, the Welsh revival, the
revival in the Hebrides, and other places bear out the fact--
A. Revival is always controversial.
B. Look at the fruit. If people are loving Jesus and each other more, it most likely
is not the devil doing it.

C. If the move of God that birthed many of our churches were to occur now,
would it be accepted? When God moves and does surgery, it can get messy, but if
it fixes what was broken, then Praise His Name!

There is no doubt that human flesh gets stirred up when the Spirit of God begins
to really move. Why? It knows it will have to die, if it loses its way. This is why
there can be such strong jealousy, criticism, and envy against a work of God that
changes human hearts. Remember it was the religious leaders in Jesus day that
wanted to kill him out of envy.

2. Are we willing to stand in faith against doubt and unbelief?

Mark 6;Heb. 11:6
-I am going to encourage people with all my might to believe God.
-Without faith we cannot please God.
-Let’s believe God can move on and change our nation, our churches, our families!
-Unbelief can shut down a move of God. Even Jesus did no mighty works in his
own home town because of unbelief.
-Let’s pray that our faith level would rise.

Illus-- There had been a severe drought, and the members of a rural congregation
were deeply concerned that their crops would be ruined.

One Sunday, therefore, the minister said to his congregation, "Brothers and
sisters, I understand your deep concern about the harvest. There is nothing that
will save us, except a special service of prayer for rain. The Lord promises that if
we pray in FAITH, He will hear us. So go to your homes now, fast for a week, and
pray. Then, next Sunday, we shall hold a service to claim the Lord's promise
because I just know it will rain next week at this same time!"

The people fasted during the week, then returned to church the following Sunday
morning. But as soon as the minister saw them, he was indignant. "Go away!" he
shouted. "How can you expect to claim the Lord's promise if you have no FAITH?"
"But Reverend," they protested, "we fasted and prayed, and we have come
believing that the Lord will be true to His word."

"Believing?" exclaimed the minister. "Believing?! Then where in the world are
your UMBRELLAS?" (Elbourne Sermon Illustrations)

3. Are we willing to change? Matthew 15

We cannot exalt out opinions and traditions over the revealed will of God!
A lot of what we call doctrine is custom; it is cultural. A change of mind has to
take place so we do not exalt anything above the truth of God, not even our
traditions.

The heart of true revival rests on the doctrine of repentance. Jesus came
preaching the Kingdom saying “Repent!” To repent means to change the way we
think.

Illus—One preacher said, “Many people use mighty thin thread when mending
their ways.”

Revival means we experience “change” in the way we view life and the way we do
life.

Illus-- In his book I Surrender, Patrick Morley writes that the church's integrity
problem is in the misconception "that we can add Christ to our lives, but not
subtract sin. It is a change in belief without a change in behavior." He goes on to
say, "It is revival without reformation, without repentance."  (Charles Swindoll)

4. Are we willing to be radically obedient?

John 14:23
-If you love me, you will do what I say.
-To obey is better than to sacrifice.

Those who are radically obedient are those who change history.

Illus—Think about these folks God used:

-Noah who built an ark and did not even know what rain was?
-Abraham who left everything and everywhere he knew to go to a place he did
not know.
-Moses who held up a rod over the sea until it parted.
-David who stood before Goliath with a slingshot.
-John the Baptist who came on the scene telling people the Messiah was coming
though he had not yet seen him.

The enemy is luring people by the thousands with his imitations. We need to rise
up and be the authentic.

There is hardly a day that passes that I do not minister to someone who is in
bondage and hungry for freedom—often they have been sitting in church for
years—what’s wrong? We need revival!!

5. Are we willing to pray?

James 5:16 It is fervent prayer that brings results.

-It will be prayer that births the move of God. It will be prayer that will take us to
the next level.
-Results that prayer brings = God’s power brought down to hurting broken people
who cannot rescue themselves.

CONCLUSION:
Let me conclude with a statement once made by someone who had done a lot of
thinking about what repentance means – “If we put off repentance another day,
we have a day more to repent of, and a day less to repent in.” Let’s not waste
another day we have to experience the change through repentance that can lead
us into revival. Revival is costly. It requires us to change, to pray, to bear criticism,
to have faith, to be radically obedient-- BUT it is worth it and we cannot see our
nation changed without it.

MESSAGE FIVE
 THE STRENGTH TO LET GO

OPENING STATEMENT -- Sometimes the greatest strength that we need is not to

hang on but to let go.

TRANSITION: I want you to think about what I just said. Letting go can often
require a lot more strength than hanging on. We are going to look at an example
in Scripture. We will look at the mother of Moses, Jochedbed.

Exodus 2: 1 And a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a
daughter of Levi. 2 So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when
she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months. 3 But
when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him,
daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds
by the river's bank. 4 And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be
done to him.

5 Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her
maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the
reeds, she sent her maid to get it. 6 And when she had opened it, she saw
the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and
said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children." 7 Then his sister said to
Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew
women, that she may nurse the child for you?" 8 And Pharaoh's daughter
said to her, "Go." So the maiden went and called the child's mother.
9 Then Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child away and nurse
him for me, and I will give you your wages." So the woman took the child
and nursed him. 10 And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh's
daughter, and he became her son. So she called his name Moses, saying,
"Because I drew him out of the water."

TRANSITION: Think about it the impact the decisions Jochedbed made had
on the entire nation of Israel and for that matter, even our lives.

1. SHE HAD TO LET GO OF MOSES SO THAT PHAROAH WOULD LET GO OF

ISRAEL.
GOD WAS PUTTING AN 80 YR. RESPONSE TO THE CRIES OF ISRAEL IN MOTION.
--80 years later he would stand before Pharoah and declare Let my people go!

Scriptural examples of letting go that brought blessing:

-Abraham letting Isaac go.
-The little boy letting go of his fish and loaves.
-Mary letting go of the Alabaster box.

Example of letting go too late:

Judas and the 30 pcs. of silver.

Hebrews 11: 23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by
his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid
of the king's command. 24 By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to
be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, 25 choosing rather to suffer affliction
with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming
the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked
to the reward. 27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king;
for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.

Illus—How natives catch monkeys. They make a little hole in a coconut and put
something in it that will rattle. The monkey comes along and sticks his hand down
in to get it out and will not let go of it. Because it will not let go of what is in its
hand, it ends up getting caught and bound.

Mark 7: 7 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the

commandments of men.' 8 "For laying aside the commandment of God, you
hold the tradition of men*--the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other
such things you do."

1Th 5:21 - Test all things; hold fast what is good.

2Th 2:15 - Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you
were taught, whether by word or our epistle.

2. YOU HAVE TO LET GO OF THE PAST SO THAT YOU CAN TAKE HOLD OF THE
FUTURE
Jochedbed decided that it would be better for her Son to live away from her than
to not live at all. The Egyptian Pharaoh had ordered the death of the baby boys
who were born. But she was willing to let go of all the bitterness of the past years
of slavery and the unjust laws, in order for her son to experience God’s plan for
his life.

Phil. 3: 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I
do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those
things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward
call of God in Christ Jesus.

Illus--A story tells of a merchant in a small town who had identical twin sons. The
boys worked for their father in the department store he owned and, when he
died, they took over the store.

Everything went well until the day a dollar bill disappeared. One of the brothers
had left the bill on the cash register and walked outside with a customer. When
he returned, the money was gone. He asked his brother, 

"Did you see that dollar bill on the cash register?" 

His brother replied that he had not. But the young man kept probing and
questioning. He would not let it alone. 

"Dollar bills just don't get up and walk away! Surely you must have seen it!" 

There was subtle accusation in his voice. Tempers began to rise. Resentment set
in. Before long, a deep and bitter chasm divided the young men. They refused to
speak. They finally decided they could no longer work together and a dividing wall
was built down the centre of the store. For twenty years hostility and bitterness
grew, spreading to their families and to the community.

Then one day a man in an automobile licensed in another state stopped in front
of the store. He walked in and asked the clerk,

"How long have you been here?"

The clerk replied that he'd been there all his life. The customer said,

"I must share something with you. Twenty years ago I was 'riding the rails' and
came into this town in a boxcar. I hadn't eaten for three days. I came into this
store from the back door and saw a dollar bill on the cash register. I put it in my
pocket and walked out. All these years I haven't been able to forget that. I know it
wasn't much money, but I had to come back and ask your forgiveness."

The stranger was amazed to see tears well up in the eyes of this middle-aged
man.

"Would you please go next door and tell that same story to the man in the store?"
he said.

Then the man was even more amazed to see two middle-aged men, who looked
very much alike, embracing each other and weeping together in the front of the
store. After twenty years, the brokenness was mended. The wall of resentment
that divided them came down.

Illus—In Marriage there is a leaving and a cleaving

YOU HAVE TO LET GO OF MOM AND DAD
MOM AND DAD HAVE TO LET GO OF YOU.

3. YOU HAVE TO LET GO OF YOUR FUTURE SO THAT YOU CAN TAKE HOLD OF
GOD’S
Jochedbed in choosing to release Moses embraced God’s plan for her nation and
the entire nation of Israel.

Illus—This was true of Abraham as he released Isaac to the Lord.

4. ITS BEST TO LET GO WHEN THE LORD CONVICTS YOU OR ELSE YOU WILL LET
GO WHEN THE LORD CHASTENS YOU

I just had to add this statement to this message. This statement reflects the
passionate relentless pursuit of God for our hearts. Whether it is a runaway
preacher like Jonah or a over confident preacher like Peter, the Lord will go to
extreme measures to separate us from the things that hold us back.
Illus—Jonah
You will get what you want but you won’t want what you get.

Illus--A dear lady shared a little "parable in real life" that God sent her several
years ago.

When her son was quite small, he had a small stuffed gorilla that he wagged
around with him everywhere -- and I do mean EVERYWHERE -- he went. She could
sometimes sneak it away for a quick laundering during nap time, but Heaven help
her if her son awoke before his friend "Rilla" was out of the dryer! As such
'"loveys" will do, Rilla's seams gradually began to weaken and his stuffing began
to leak.

As she tells it, "Poor old Rilla was in desperate need of some corrective surgery,
not to mention a stuffing transplant. One day, John waddled up to me and held up
his battered, beloved Rilla and said, 'Mommy, Rilla's broked.' I explained that I
would be happy to fix Rilla up -- a little new stuffing, some seam reinforcement,
and he would be 'all better' again. John held Rilla out toward me, and said 'Fizzit,
Mommy!' But, when I reached down to take the little gorilla in my hands, I found
that it had a two-year-old firmly attached to it. As all parents know, a tug-of-war
with a two-year-old is frequently a losing proposition, and is ALWAYS
accompanied by loud cries and copious tears. Finally, in exasperation, I said, 'I
can't fix it until you let go of it!!!' And just at that moment, the Spirit of God
tapped me on the shoulder, as it were -- and I realized that God was waiting for
me to let go of several things, too."

CONCLUSION – Are you ready to let go? What is it right now, that the Spirit of
God is dealing with that is requiring a release from you? Would you….
 ILLUSTRATION ONE
G-U-I-dance

When I meditated on the word "guidance," I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the
word.

I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing. When two people
try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn't flow with the music, and
everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.

When one person lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music.
One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing lightly in
one direction or another. It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully. The
dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle
guidance and skill from the other.

My eyes drew back to the word guidance. When I saw "G", I thought of God,
followedby "u" and "i". God, "u" and "i" dance". God, you, and I dance. This
statement is what guidance means to me.

As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about
my life. I became willing to let God lead.

From The Sermon Fodder Email List

ILLUSTRATION TWO
Building Bridges

Once upon a time two brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell into conflict. It
was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side by side, sharing machinery,
and trading labor and goods as needed without a hitch. Then the long
collaboration fell apart.

It began with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major difference, and
finally it exploded into an exchange of bitter words followed by weeks of silence.
One morning there was a knock on John's door. He opened it to find a man with a
carpenter's toolbox. "I'm looking for a few days work" he said. "Perhaps you
would have a few small jobs here and there. Could I help you?"

"Yes," said the older brother. "I do have a job for you. Look across the creek at
that farm. That's my neighbor, in fact, it's my younger brother. Last week there
was a meadow between and he took his bulldozer to the river levee and now
there is a creek between us. Well, he may have done this to spite me, but I'll go
him one better. See that pile of lumber over by the barn? I want you to build me a
fence --an 8-foot fence -- so I won't need to see his place anymore. Cool him
down, anyhow."

The carpenter said, "I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails and the
post-hole digger and I'll be able to do a job that pleases you."

The older brother had to go to town for supplies, so he helped the carpenter get
the materials ready and then he was off for the day. The carpenter worked hard
all that day measuring, sawing, nailing. About sunset when the farmer returned,
the carpenter had just finished his job. The farmer's eyes opened wide, his jaw
dropped. There was no fence at
all. It was a bridge -- a bridge stretching from one side of the creek to the other! A
fine piece of work, handrails and all -- and the neighbor, his younger brother, was
coming across, his hand outstretched. "You are quite a fellow to build this bridge
after all I've said and done."

The two brothers met at the middle of the bridge, taking each other's hand. They
turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox on his shoulder. "No, wait! Stay a
few days. I've a lot of other projects for you," said the older brother.

"I'd love to stay on," the carpenter said, "but I have so many more bridges to
build." (Salt for Sermons)

ICE BREAKER ONE

(This ice breaker introduction is for you to use in
an inspirational evangelistic type of setting.)
First, let me thank you for taking your time to be here at this special meeting. I
think our reason for being here is very important. Listen to the following quote by
a man known for being one of the greatest preachers who ever lived. His name
was Charles Haddon Spurgeon. He pastored the Metropolitan Tabernacle in
London, England in the late 1800’s. He had a tremendous passion to see lost souls
come to Jesus. He said this:

"If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they
perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there
unwarned and unprayed for." Charles Spurgeon

Spurgeon understood that we have a responsibility to share Christ with people

regardless of their response. We are here today to talk about ways we can reach
people. It is the mission that Jesus has given us as his church to carry out.

The Swiss Theologian Emil Brunner sums it up: “The church exists by mission as
fire exists by burning.” Emil Brunner May God ignite in us a passion to carry out
His mission to reach the least, the last, and the lost. May the lost people in our
community sense our arms about their knees pulling them toward Jesus away
from the destruction that awaits them.

Now let me share with you…..

ICE BREAKER TWO

Who’s to Blame?
(This can be used for ministering to other pastors or any leadership meeting in
your church or ministry.)

I ran across an interesting testimony that I want to share with you. As I read it, see
if you can figure out who it is as I read it and the identity of the culprit is revealed:

I never was guilty of wrong actions but on my account lives have been lost,
trains have been wrecked, ships have gone down at sea, cities have burned,
battles have been lost, and governments have failed. I never stuck a blow nor
spoke an unkind word, but because of me homes have been broken up, friends
have grown cold, the laughter of children ceased, wives have shed hitter tears,
brothers and sisters have been forgotten, and fathers and mothers have gone
broken-hearted to their graves.

Who am I? I am neglect. We do not have to be against God to he in danger of

the judgment. We simply have to neglect his offer of life in Jesus Christ. This is
the nature of sin. And if, in effect, I say to God now, "Depart from me" is it unfair
that God should one day reply "Depart from me: it is your decision not mine."
This is the essence of judgment: God gives us what we ourselves have chosen.
(1500 Illustrations – found on Salt for Sermons)

When I first read this, I was convicted too. I imagine all of us have at one time or
another been guilty of neglect. So as we gather for this meeting, let’s talk about
how to eliminate this culprit from our ministries……..

SURPRISE BONUS
12 Leadership Quotes

Everett Dirksen: I am a man of fixed and unbending principles, the first of which is
to be flexible at all times.

Isaac Newton: If I have seen farther than others, it is because I was standing on
the shoulder of giants.

Robert Louis Stevenson: Keep your fears to yourself, but share your inspiration
with others.

Unknown: Some leaders are born women.

Winston Churchill: The price of greatness is responsibility.

Peter F. Drucker: Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right
things.

Dwight Eisenhower: Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do

something you want done because he wants to do it.
Theodore Roosevelt: The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick
good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling
with them while they do it.

Ralph Waldo Emerson: Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what
we know we could be.

Margaret Mead: Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens
can change world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.

Chinese proverb: An army of a thousand is easy to find, but, ah, how difficult to
find a general.

Fred Smith: Leadership is getting people to work for you when they are not
obligated.

THREE TIDBITS OF ADVICE FOR PASTORS

1. The following from Henry Viscardi reminds us that God’s ways are what is best
for us. If you are in the middle of a confusing situation be encouraged.

I asked God for strength, that I might achieve.

I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.

I asked for health, that I might do greater things.

I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.

I asked for riches, that I might be happy.

I was given poverty, that I might be wise.

I asked for power, that I might have the praise of others.

I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.

I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life.

I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.

I got nothing that I asked for, but everything I hoped for.

Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.

I am among all men, most richly blessed.

2. Dear friends I also want to encourage you to always choose to see the “good”
in people and not be mesmerized by the bad. As ministers, we often are called to
step into the middle of life’s pitfalls and pains. If you are not careful, you can
slowly become cynical. This will kill your passion for ministry and turn your call
into a long hallway of dread. When God looks at the world, He chooses to see a
people whom He desires to redeem. Learn to look at life redemptively and live.

3. Don’t let your own personal giving slide. You too will be blessed as you give.
Don’t think the time and energy you expend in ministry replaces the joy of giving
from your own pocketbook. You will be blessed!

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