God's Will for My Life

By Tony V. Hammack

Abundant Life Today Media
	Podcast: Play in New Window | Download To watch the video, click here.

These notes are best when used in conjunction with the audio or video.     Thesis: Everyone has a place and everyone has an evolving purpose in the Church.

*This is determined by the revealed will of God first.
*Second, it’s determined by our desires.
*Third, it’s determined by what we are good at.
*Fourth, it should be confirmed by people in authority.



The Revealed will of God

Romans 12:1,2
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —his good, pleasing and perfect will.

1.  View God’s mercy
2.  Offer your body as a living sacrifice holy and pleasing to God
3.  This is true and proper worship
4.  Don’t be conformed to the pattern of this world
5.  Be transformed by mind renewal
6.  Then the good and pleasing will of God will be recognized.

1.  In View of God’s Mercy

The great price God paid for us in Christ’s death on the cross.

Romans 5:8
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

True value is not determined by appraisers but by what someone will literally pay.



2. Offer Your Body

We need to offer our Body as a living sacrifice, following the example Christ has given us.

The most popular saying of Jesus Christ judged by the number of times it appears in scripture is “If anyone would come after me he must deny himself take up his cross and follow me.”

Obviously the number of times this is recorded puts a priority to the concept.

3. True and Proper Worship

The Bible calls the viewing of God’s mercy and the subsequent response of the believer to also sacrificially lay their life down as true and proper worship.

John 4:23,24
Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

4.  Don’t be Conformed to the Pattern of this World

We are called to break the mold the world is trying to put us in.

The Century of the Self, a 4 part documentary released by the BBC is an amazingly eye opening display on how we are manipulated by various forms of media. This manipulation is usually financially driven.

There is a battle for control of your mind. Many forces want to influence your thinking but as Christians God should be the one we’re listening to.

We are instructed to allow God to put us into His mold. This way we are transformed into God’s image, getting our minds renewed.

5.  Be Transformed by Mind Renewal

2 Corinthians 10:5
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Philippians 4:8
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

A great way to understand mind renewal is to understand the expression, “garbage in; garbage out.”

6.  The Good and Pleasing Will of God

Then we will KNOW the will of God. We can know it but unfortunately many in the Body of Christ are perplexed about the will of God. Perhaps they haven’t followed the pattern in Romans 12:1,2? I believe if anyone will do this the specific will of God will be opened to that person.

Our desires become God’s desires when we follow the process in Romans 12:1,2

Psalm 37:4
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Doing what we're good at.

Doing what we’re good at just makes sense. If we’re very grouchy and can’t seem to change, we wouldn’t make the best door greeter.

Confirmed by Authority

Hebrews 13:17
Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.

1 Peter 5:2-4
2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

A culture of service and humility from everyone in the Church.

Matthew 23:11,12
The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

One of the responsibilities of those in spiritual authority is to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. (Eph 4:12)

There is a direct relationship between authority and responsibility. Those that have the responsibility also have the authority. Some who have no responsibility feel like they should have authority but this just isn’t fair or realistic.

The Church has people who are responsible and they should also be the most humble. This helps establish the right culture of love, and service for the entire body.

Sometimes there are people in the congregation who are very gifted but don’t want to take much responsibility. This will weaken their authority.

 

Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) and Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) If you can't be with us in person please visit via internet video on Jubilee T.V. If you live in Batesville please tune into KBAP 88.1 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.

Jubilee Family Church
45 Thunderbird Dr. Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124
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A Tale of Two Trees

By Tony V. Hammack

Abundant Life Today Media
	Podcast: Play in New Window | Download To watch the video, click here.

These notes are best when used in conjunction with the audio or video.    

John 15:1-8

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

I. verses 1,2

There is a true life source and false life sources. Christ is the only true life source. The father is the developer of the person who’s abiding in Christ.

II. verses 3-5

The Word of God, when received will make one clean. (Eph. 5:25-28) This word is received through abiding in Christ or remaining in Christ. Apart from this abiding in Christ we can do nothing with any lasting importance for God.

III. If we do not remain and abide in Christ we will be unfruitful. Unfruitful branches wither because they have the wrong life source. They are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. The wood in a vine has no real value but to be burned.

• The fruit is the only reason it’s allowed to take up soil.
• Things that make a tree unfruitful (Mark 4:19)

           *Worries of this Life
           *The deceitfulness of wealth
           *Desires for other things

God does not want to make a better you. The best good you have to offer this world is to realize that Jesus can flow through you. He wants you to come into agreement with him that you must die to yourself.

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

IV. If we are abiding in Christ, it opens up God’s response to our prayer life! God wants us to produce fruit and when we’re abiding in Christ our prayers are going to be all about God’s will. When God answers these prayers it brings glory to himself.

1 John 5:14,15
14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

What does it mean to be Fruitful?

Fruit Production is twofold:
1. It is developing the character of Christ in oneself.
2. It’s also being a part of reproducing Christ in others.

The order is significant. A man drowning in sin should not think he has much righteous help to offer another drowning man.

Character

Galatians 5:22-24
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Reproducing Christ in Others

God expects us to abide in Christ and thus be an agent to multiply the kingdom of God into the hearts of others.

The Greek word translated 'bear' in 'bears no fruit' is the word phero, and the Greek word translated 'fruit' is karpos. Both are used in the Parable of the Sower found in Mark 4:1-8

'It came up, grew and produced a crop [karpos: fruit, crop, harvest] multiplying [phero: bearing] thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times.' (Mark 4:8).

By using the same Greek words in both teachings, the Bible is showing that producing a crop in Mark 4 and bearing fruit in John 15, are one and the same thing.

Have you ever wondered why some are effective at reproducing Christ in others while some are not? Well, John 15 tells us that when we abide or remain in Christ we’ll bear fruit. I believe this is true but sometimes we can have things that hinder us from being "others" centered that Christ wants to deal with as we abide in him.

The wounded tree is focused on it’s own problems. It has a gaping wound that it must contend with in order to survive. The sap and water that would normally be pushed down the branches and into budding fruit is consumed on this problem.

Luke 13:6-9
6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ 8 “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”

I believe that in Christ there is healing power for the wounded soul.

I believe there is mercy and grace from the throne of God to heal our hurting emotions.

I believe this healing process takes time but can be accelerated by our pursuit of Christ.
     *Overcoming Sin
     *Prayer/Bible Meditation/Communing with Christ/Abiding

Christ Life Ministries is also a valuable tool to minister to the hurting soul of people. Please consider being a “Good Samaritan” Pouring on the oil and wine to the wounded. (Luke 10:34)

It’s God’s will that we would be whole and fruitful for him.

People that are treading water, barely keeping their head up, in this life sometimes have a difficult time getting out there and rescuing someone else.

It’s hard to fulfill the great commission when we are drowning in our own problems. Abide in Christ, receive healing, become others focused, and make disciples.

Matthew 28:18b-20
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Then we will have confidence that we are fulfilling our role as fruit bearing disciples of the Lord.
  Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) and Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) If you can't be with us in person please visit via internet video on Jubilee T.V. If you live in Batesville please tune into KBAP 88.1 FM to listen to contemporary worship music. Jubilee Family Church
45 Thunderbird Dr. Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124
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Mercy

By Tony V. Hammack

These notes are best when used in conjunction with the audio or video.  Click here to listen to this dynamic message on mercy or click here to watch the video.

James 2:13 …judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!

The Prayer Prayed in Public Schools Until June 25, 1962.
“Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers, and our country.”
This prayer is a cry for the mercy of God.

Mercy - : compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one's power; mercy also means lenient or compassionate treatment.

Luke 6:32-38
32"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full.  35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.  37"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

Nice but Normal
1. To love someone who loves you is human.
2. To do good to someone who does good to you is human.
3. Loaning money to someone who can pay you back is human.
Divine Behavior
4. Loving, doing good and giving money to your enemy is divine.
5. When we love the unlovable, do good to the evil and give money to those that can’t pay us back we have a great reward and demonstrate that we are truly Sons of God.
6. When we are in a life receiving relationship with Jesus Christ we will act like him more and more as we draw more and more life from him.
7. With the measure of mercy we extend to others who don’t “deserve” it, we ourselves will receive mercy from God.

• 3 Types of Relationships
• Take
• Give and Take
• Give

We all, at one time or another were takers. In order to have something to give others we must receive. However this isn’t the ultimate position we are to stay in. It’s a phase of development into maturity.

When a Child acts like a child it’s difficult but there’s an understanding that the child is developing and growing, it’s understood and accepted.
However when an adult behaves like a child it’s generally frowned upon. Sometimes this happens simply because this adult as a child missed something.

Give and take – I feel like the best illustration for the give and take relationships that Jesus is talking about in Luke 6 would be represented by the business world. “You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.”

1. To love someone who loves you is human, easily accomplished by sinful people every day.
Luke 6:32
"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them.

Many lustful relationships are built upon this paradigm of thinking and living.
However just stop adding energy or life into the relationship and you’ll see it unravel.

2. To do good to someone who does good to you is human.
Luke 6:33
And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that.
Again the illustration here would be a business relationship.

3. Loaning money to someone who can pay you back is human.
Luke 6:34
And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full.

4. Loving, doing good and giving money to your enemy is divine.
Luke 6:35,36
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

The relationships that are truly divinely motivated and sustained are the relationships where you are on the giving end and there is no receiving in sight for your sacrifice. These relationships prove and demonstrate that you are truly a son or daughter of God.

Loving and caring for a spouse who’s been bed ridden for years while remaining faithful in mind, heart and action. DIVINE!

Staying in a marriage where you are not in “love”. Working it out together. DIVINE

Giving resources or help to someone who doesn’t appreciate it or won’t be able to pay you back. DIVINE

5. When we love the unlovable, do good to the evil and give money to those that can’t pay us back we have a great reward and demonstrate that we are truly Sons of God.

This is a very un-natural reaction or behavior however it is very natural if we’re plugged into a supernatural God.

2 Corinthians 3:18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.


6. When we are in a life receiving relationship with Jesus Christ we will act like him more and more as we draw more and more life from him.


John 15:4,5
4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.  5"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.


7. With the measure of mercy we extend to others who don’t “deserve” it, we ourselves will receive mercy from God.

Mercy comes originally from God, we extend it to others which causes more mercy to come from God. When we extend that to others it continues the process over and over again causing us to be agents of change.

In a world of hostility, we can open a spiritual floodgate by loving.  In a world that keeps score and settles resentment with vindictiveness, we can open a spiritual floodgate by forgiving. In a world where ‘what is mine is mine’ we can open a spiritual floodgate by giving to others freely. We can always wait for someone else to pick up the ball and get things started. But we know that the world is not going to become a loving place, a forgiving place, a giving place, except that we actually do it.

Does anyone want God’s Wrath?
Then we must cry out for mercy and extend mercy!
Matthew 18:32-35
32"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

Consider today the position of your heart toward people who have hurt you or are against you.  Receive mercy from God and extend mercy to them.  It will change the world one person at a time.

If you'd like to learn more about becoming a Christian please click here.

Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:00 AM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or via internet video on Jubilee T.V.

Jubilee Family Church
45 Thunderbird Dr.
Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124


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