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 Series Theme:  "Faith Sermons"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Title:  9. Stepping into God's Will

        

  

 

1. God's Will – a Place of Blessing

   

Col 1:13 he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves

  •  we used to be in a place of ‘darkness' where you can't see
  •  Jesus described himself as the Light of the World
  •  by inference we've been transferred to a place of light – where we can see – it starts to make sense
  •  In OT being a part of the people of Israel meant being part of a community that God wanted to bless
  •  See Deut 28 examples
  •  Live God's way – as He's designed us to work best – and good stuff follows

        

     

2. The Stories of 3 Women

Mt 1:3,5,6

a) Tamar – forced the issue and made sure she was part of the family line – part of God's continuing community

b) Rahab – helped the community of God and joined it

c) Ruth – similarly joined it

  •  All three caught a sense of something – this was the place to be – doing the stuff God wanted
  •  It's not about big buildings, institutions creating and holding on to power, funny clothes or behaviour marking us out

 We are marked out by:

  • the changes that take place in us
  • our love and
  • our faith

    

     

3. The Choice is Ours

  •   Previously we heard of having just one life and the importance of how we use it – by faith
  •  But we choose to be God's people, act like God's people and live in faith like God's people
  •  How does blessing come?
  •  When we are obedient to God's word and God's leading
  •  How important it is therefore that we learn
    •  God's word
    • to be led by God's Spirit
  • Faith is about choosing to go God's way

  

4. Practicalities

How this works:

Someone is unkind – we choose to be nice back

When we do, God blesses us (God adds goodness to our lives)

 

People around us steal – we choose not to

When we don't God blesses us

 

Other people major on self, we choose to bless others

God blesses us with love

 

Other people major on negatives, we choose to be positive in Him

God blesses with joy

 

Other people major on worry, we choose to trust Him

God blesses us with peace

 

Other people major fret impatiently, we choose to wait His timing

God blesses with patience

 

Other people major on hostility, we choose to be kind

God blesses us with kindness

 

Other people major on betrayal, we choose to be faithful

God blesses us with faithfulness

 

Other people major on harshness, we choose to be gentle

God blesses us with gentleness

 

Other people major on wrong, we choose to be good

God blesses us with goodness

 

Other people major on giving way to temptation, we choose to resist temptation

God blesses with self-control

 

Yes, these are the ‘fruit of the Spirit' – Gal 5:22 ,23 – and they flourish when we determine to go God's way, to do God's will

 

Appendix: Note on the 3 women:

   

Reading : Matthew 1:3,5,6

  

“Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar … 5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of King David.” 

•  NOT the most exciting passage of Scripture, 

•  YET - 

“ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”  (2 Tim 3:16) 

 

•  This was part of Jesus' ‘family tree' 

•  This is the ‘pedigree' of the Messiah, the long awaited One, sent by God to Israel . (One who is surely holy and special?) 

•  The Jews focused on men in such trees but this includes 3 women! Why? 

•  What do these women teach us? What do they tell us? Why are they included here?

         

1. Tamar

•  Tamar was the daughter-in-law of Judah and her husband died leaving her a widow (Gen 38:6,7)

•  Custom required the next unmarried son to marry the daughter-in-law and carry on the family name.

•  This didn't happen because of unrighteous sons.

•  Judah 's wife died and he went to the sheep shearing where he used a prostitute – except it happened to be Tamar in disguise.

•  She conceived and had twins, one of whom was Perez who became part of the family line down to King David.

    

2. Rahab

•  Rahab was a prostitute or innkeeper in Jericho when Israel first invaded the land (Josh 2:1)

•  She hid the two Israeli spies and then lied to the king of Jericho

•  She believed that God had given the land to Israel (Josh 2:9)

•  She became part of Israel (Josh 6:25 )

     

3. Ruth

•  Ruth was a Moabite (Ruth 1:4) who became married to an Israelite who subsequently died and left her a widow.

•  Her mother-in-law decided to return to Israel and tried to persuade Ruth to remain with her people.

•  Ruth replied, “ Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” (Ruth 1:16)

•  Thus Ruth went with her mother-in-law Naomi to Israel where eventually she married Boaz and became part of the family tree.