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October 25, 2016 2:26 pm
Harvest messages are brought to you by harvest partners receive free email daily devotions were to become a harvest partner, please visit us online@harvest.org. Let's grab our Bibles and were going to get back in the work world changers series that I would ask you to turn it to passages today. Hebrews 11 and Genesis 12 Hebrews 11 and Genesis 12. The title of my messages. No forwarding address.
Let's pray together. Father, we look at our country right now and it just needs help and needs world changers because we know our ultimate solution is not a political one. We need men of God. We need women of God.
We need children of God to step up to the plate and do what you've called us to do and change our world instead of our world changing us.
So as we look now at the life of a man who did just that.
Help us to be inspired to help us to learn from these passages were about to look at and help us to change our world, we would pray in Jesus name, amen.
A quick question. How many of you use GPS global positioning satellite terminal. It's a lot of cars now corsets and smart phones as well. People have been misled by GPS you know that right. I've been I've been using my GPS may be going up somewhere in LA and I got it programmed in the deli meat. You know, just got this through a and all and not that long ago by GPS and turn right at the next off rapidly and while never did that before and you know I'll be turn right turn left turn right turn right turn left then it said get back in the free window like what was that there was no reason to do that GPS is like trying to mess with my mind right. I read an article that talked about GPS misadventures.
A Bostonian woman was driving with her kids when she made a right turn directly on the railroad tracks at the direction of her GPS and so she's our cars on the track. She's thinking. Is this right and the dinner car stalls to make matters worse, urging car stalls and she gets out of the car and her kids are safe and the train gets the car so moral of the story don't always do what GPS tells you to do Apple maps.
According to this article actually directed several drivers undo an active runway at an airport. They were seeking directions that Fairbanks international Airport usually ended up look up on the screen right now.
This is actually look at the little blue line right onto runway do not pull your car on a runway you cannot out run a 747 right and also about an elderly couple got stranded for days again because they follow their GPS directed them to a back road and they spent two nights tonight in the wilderness stop. So again, what is GPS then for maybe get potentially stranded. I don't know but it can get you in trouble, but I needed because I have no navigational skills whatsoever. I'm always getting lost now.
God is created certain animals with what we call a homing instinct or built-in GPS. One of the most amazing of all is the golden plover. It's native to Hawaii and during the summer.
The plover migrates to the Hawaiian Islands is usually the Aleutian Islands that if the wife goes to the Aleutian Islands and there around 1200 miles away from a why there the adult plovers.
The moms lay their eggs in the little ones are hatched and mom and dad Lee to see kids running here and and they don't even like with little you know laptops of the with GPS or little smart phones and they don't even send him a tweet.
Okay which I think bird should be able to send a tweet.
Don't you and so they leave the little fledgling just hanging out in the Aleutian island.
So what are they do the little bird. Somehow, no how to get to Hawaii and they make that journey to a place they've never been to before. It's amazing why because God is put a homing instinct in them. So listen, the next time someone calls you a birdbrain take it as a compliment right well now God has placed a homing instinct in us as well. Human beings uniquely made in the image of God, and we don't know what it is. At first, but we know this much from the moment you were born were on a quest starts with toys for girls, it might be when I get this all I know I'll be happy. I remember was thinking back was my first thing I was excited about as a little kid and I remembered it was Tonka trucks back in the day when I was a little guy. They were made out of metal permit on the plastic now a lot of little metal Tonka trucks. I member going through a Sears and Roebuck catalog kids.
That's before we had the Internet okay and so you would look at pictures and I would look at these trusts so I just had this Tonka truck. I know I would be happy then you know you get older and what's the old expression. The only difference between men and boys is the price of their toys and giving it it's it's a story it's it's this position. It's this relationship, it that thing in then hopefully you discover what I'm really looking for is a God and I have a homing instinct for heaven.
We have a homesickness for a place we've never been to before heaven. God wired us that way. The Bible says in the book of Ecclesiastes 311. He has placed eternity in the human heart and once we figure this out.
Once we realize that our ultimate destination as followers of Jesus and seven they can change the way that we live on earth why because we develop an eternal perspective.
That simply means that I see things in the light of eternity. I remember that things on earth, though pleasurable and fun. It times are temporal and I realize there are eternal things, things that matter even more so would change the way I think and it changes the way I live. While I would look now at a world changer name Abraham and he had an eternal perspective. He was called by God to leave his homeland to leave his family and go to an unknown destination.
He packed up his bags and left no forwarding address. Since the title of the message and she changed his world.
MNR tell you what we need people who will change the world today. Our country is messed up. Can we agree on that, and I have never had less confidence in a political solution that I have at this moment in time America so desperately needs. God America so desperately needs to hear the gospel. That's all we do these harvest America event America needs world changers. America needs you and need you to do your part, but I know it's a big order to say America.
Let's just localize and talk about your world, your sphere of influence where you can go out there and make an impact. Just like Abraham did you want to change the world. Start by changing your world. Abraham did that. Did you know that these things 74 times in the New Testament and there's only 11 chapters of Genesis devoted to the first 2000 years of human history. That's 19. Earlier generations. But then there's 14 chapters dedicated to the life of one man who was Abraham that one third of the verses here in Hebrews 11, which is really that perilous hall of faith is devoted to Abraham and Sarah, and that's a lot of ink so God must have wanted us to know about this man, this great PTR of the faith� Read some of what Hebrews 11 says about starting a verse eight by faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance and he went out, not knowing where he was going by faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, his heirs with him of the same promise free waited for the city which add foundations, whose builder and maker is God by faith Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was well past the age because he judged him faithful who had promised. Therefore, from one man and from him and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude innumerable as a sandwiches by the seashore. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, they were assured of them in the embrace them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the your for those who say such things declare plainly that they seek homeland. Eventually, if they had called the mind that country from which they had come out. They went up opportunity return, but now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he is prepared a city for them. There okay. Why was Abraham a world changer. What is he do point number one if you're taking notes should be as I know you'll never remember the stuff if you don't number one Abraham listen to God world changers listen to God. Verse eight by faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he was going.
He listened to God. Now understand that Abraham lived in a super pagan culture. His family all worship false gods they worshiped idols and he probably was an idol worshiper himself.
Despite this, God handpicked Abraham and came to him.
In Genesis 12 one and said get out of your country and from your family and from your father's house and go to a land that I will show you find an interesting God says go to a land that I will show you God doesn't tell him what that land is he doesn't tell them where that land is he doesn't tell him where he is going to live ultimately Abraham was headed to a heavenly destination. But here's my point. God leads us one step at a time.
I think sometimes it like a detailed blueprint early in life. Lord, I need to know when going to marry that I need to know where live and what my profession is going to be I need to know how many children I have. How many grandchildren have.
I need networks like the janitorial, he just leads us to step at a time and you need to take that next step before you reveal the following step to you either had never had a blueprint as to where I was going to go in life, especially after I became a Christian. It reminds me of the story of in the New Testament of how God called Philip. Philip was having some meetings he was preaching people were coming to Christ. It was awesome. And then the angel of the Lord Chamberlain said, go to the desert, I love it. Just go to the desert. The angel doesn't say go to the desert.
W guy from Ethiopia searching for God reading from Isaiah 53 so brush up on that note, this is go to the desk. Yet the look of arguments and why should I go to the desert. I'm here having great meetings with this makes no sense, but he went in obedience Millie standing there in the desert under the blazing sun sweating thinking okay why am I in the desert. My supposed to preach to lizards. I know I should've brought my sunscreen. Then he sees a cloud of dust in the distance and as it gets closer into large entourage of people traveling and then he realizes it's a foreign dignitary, probably of the little flags of the country on his jury with Secret Service guys running on each side of you realizes that this is up for indignity from Ethiopia went to Jerusalem searching for God was reading out loud from Isaiah 53 and until just heading there like all alone in the desert a gun just happened to be here in the desert and I think I know why is that man reads from Isaiah 53� Do you understand what you're reading. The guide says no I don't. Can you help me yes is a matter of fact I can declined up in the chariot share the gospel with them. Let the man the Christ and then went on his way rejoicing.
Here's my point.
God didn't tell Philip what was going he said take that next step. God did the same for Abraham. Let me ask you is the Lord leaving you to do something as he nudged you to go have a conversation with a certain person will I don't know what I'm in the safe. Don't worry about that. Take the next step of obedience, God just said go no roadmap.
Have you ever watch the cartoon Dora the explorer believe you've seen it. I hope you watched it with kids. Don't tell me you're watching that as an adult, but the I have four grandchildren and will five altogether for granddaughters I should say they like Dora.
Unfortunately, I know the theme song. Now I know the names of the characters, and basically here's the plot of every Dora cartoon okay Dora the Explorer. She goes out with her little friend.
Her pet monkey boots because he wears red boots. They go get lost every time they get lost in their being tracked by a fox named swipe her wishes harm, and I'm thinking what good parenting is happening here. You know what is Dorothy's loss again being chased by a fox. But don't worry she's got that monkey with her but fortunately for Dora she has her talking map actually had things has its own little theme song he sings that there is a place you gotta go. On the one you need to know I'm the map and the map leads her home in that basically every single Dora adventure. In a nutshell, well Abraham didn't have a singing map. He certainly did not have a monkey name boots. But what he had was a directive from God and he went got to go by the way, this is before we had the written word. There was no Old Testament certainly no New Testament, no Torah, so we would assume the God probably spoke audibly to Abraham and told him to go. We might think I was God would speak audibly to me would be great if you get up every morning the liver to speak to audibly or send a text even text from God. Hey Greg, here's here's the plan for today at this hour be here at that hour be there and do this and do that. Thank you Lord that somehow he speaks to us, but you know, the fact is, God speaks to you all the time.
The question is are you listening listen to this.
The average New Testament Christian knows more than the greatest prophets of the Old Testament, the average New Testament Christian knows more than the great patriarch Abraham. You see how so because Jesus said of those born among women. There's never been a greater than John the Baptist. John was the last of the Old Testament prophets. But then the Lord went on to say, but he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John. That's us least in the kingdom whoever we are, why would I be greater than John the Baptist for the simple reason I know the big picture. I know that the Bible is pointing to the arrival of Messiah, the death of Messiah, the resurrection of Messiah and the return of Messiah.
I see it all the new is in the Old Testament concealed the old is in the New Testament revealed, let me say that again.
The new is in the Old Testament concealed the old is in the New Testament reveal so was a part of the new covenant, which we all are.
Because of the death and resurrection of Christ, I see it all now, but here's the point. God does speak, but if you want to hear God speak open this book, you're not getting your God if you don't open the Bible and say like young Samuel speak Lord, your servant is listening. I think the factors God speaks we just don't always like what he says maybe hearing Pastor Chuck Smith tell the story of his grandson said to his mom one night mom. God never speaks to me in his mom said no son. God speaks to you all the time in a civil mom. I never hear and then the sponsor will you know what son when you do something wrong and you feel guilty that can be God speaking to you. There was a pause and then he said to his mom mom God speaks to me all the time.
I suggest you God speaks to you a lot. The question is are you listening see it's up to us to determine if were going to pay attention to what the Lord says Jesus said my sheep hear my voice, and they know my voice and they follow my voice world changers are always listening to hear the voice of God number two world changers obeyed God's is not just enough to hear from God. I have to then respond. I either obey or disobey world changers obeyed God to his credit, without argument right there on the spot Abraham obeyed God.
This was faith in action. You grow in your faith you going to discover this. There are certain things God tells you as a Christian to not do it and realizing time that the reason he says that is to protect you. The Bible says no good thing will he withhold from those that walk up rightly if God says don't do it. That's because it's a bad thing.
If God says do it.
That's because it's a good thing. So the Lord says stay away from nothing that's for your own benefit, obey the Lord and do what he tells you to do so. God told Abraham to make a clean break with his past and his family. God is commanding him to leave his people.
This family everyone in the new judges leave them altogether wife because they were detrimental to his spiritual growth. His environment was not conducive to him growing spiritually so the Lord said, you need to walk away. Let me ask you a question. What kind of influence is your family having on you will give influence are your friends having on you know, let's turn it around. What kind of influence are you having on them member I told you before a world changer is a thermostat not a thermometer I been having some problems with my thermostat lately.
It's one of these fancy high-tech thermostats and neck in a safe, what branded this nest, but I like to because it's just cool little digital thing and you you said it and it's very easy to figure out in there it is. But what I discovered is the nest has its own little brain and it will learn something that means that it starts making decisions for you.
So nest decided the other night. You know Greg doesn't need it at 70� at night he would be happier if it was 74� so I will cover the middle of the night what is going on. I did not set this to 74. I set it to 70, had turned her back then the next day.
Nest decides it should be 64 in the house and set it so what are you doing death that I have conversations with it and it's like you're talking to. The GPS is under trying to kill us. Our juke robots are taking us over.
Okay, but theoretically of thermostat sets the temperature thermometer just tells you how warm or cold all world changers sets the temperature a person is being changed by the world. There they just respond world changers influencer surroundings.
Those who are changed by the world are influenced by what is happening around them. The far more concerned about the opinions of other people kind of influence are you having on others. You know sometimes our circumstances change for the poor, a man or a woman of God, it won't change us think of Shadrach me shack and Abednego three young teenage boys plug from their homeland taken from their homes sent to a pagan country known as Babylon. Everybody was worshiping false gods there and ultimately would bow down before the image of the King Nebuchadnezzar except Shadrach me shack in the Bendigo because they had faith in God. Their names were even change. For instance, those were not there given names by their parents handed nine, beloved of the Lord. That's what his name means at his name change to Shadrach, which means illuminated by the sun God the same thing for the others, but they did not compromise and when push came to shove, they stood their ground. They were thermostats not thermometers. Their names were changed, but it didn't change their character reminding us that the world changers are almost always a minority. Rarely, if ever a majority. You know, the majority is not always right.
I'm sorry to tell you that the majority wanted Christ crucified okay. It's often the one man, the one woman that will stand up for what is true.
The world changer, the one who wasn't so concerned about the opinions of others and far more concerned about the opinion of God that stands up and says what is right. So Abraham's family was dragging them down. And God said, you gotta come loose buddy. Separate yourself you know if you want to be a happy person and a blessed person there certain things you should do and there certain things you should not do. Someone says blessed or happy is the man of the woman who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly are stands in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of the scornful. You want to be a happy person. Don't hang around ungodly people a lot you can control your entire environment.
You may have a family that has ungodly people, and that you may be in the workplace with people that don't believe you may be in a classroom around people that don't share your faith, and so forth. I'm not saying you you can change that. There's a difference between who I am around and who I choose to spend time with spend time with godly people find godly friends that will build you up in your faith and increase your appetite for spiritual things, not people who drag you down and decrease your appetite for spiritual things. God said come loose.
But then, happy people are also known for what they do because someone continues.
But his delight is in the word of the Lord and then it does he meditate day and night, so don't do these things and hang around godless people.
But do this thing study the word of God and spend time with godly people.
Point number three world changers are heavenly minded because there heavenly citizen again world changers are heavenly minded because there heavenly citizens. Look at verse 16 they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them all.
Hank Williams had it right when he saying this world is not my home on adjuster passing through. That's true, or just passing through the Bible says of our lives on earth and first Chronicles 2915 were only here for a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us our days on earth like a passing shadow on so soon without a trace back to that GPS illustration that homing instinct. Christians have a longing for something the earth can never deliver. We know ultimately only heaven can we know where that it's best that can be some great moments are under counter are just a pale imitation of greater things to come, because we were created for something more, much more was Augustine who said quote of God.
You've made us and drawn us to yourself in our heart is restless until it rests in you." And because of this homesickness for heaven. We see the world for what it is speaking of the world. I don't mean the earth.
I don't mean the beauty were surrounded by flawed as this planet is and it'll be better when they when the newer comes but when I talked about the world I'm talking about a mentality I'm talking about a culture I'm talking about a way of thinking that is influenced by the God of this world, Satan who manipulates sin tries to get us to just live for ourselves and our selfish desires that the Bible says of this world system. In first John 216 from a modern translation the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see in a pride in our accomplishments and possessions. This is not from the father. This is from the world but as citizens of heaven, we know were billed for another place. Verse 16 they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for that to hear that.
Listen heaven is a real place for real people to do real things Jesus had I gone to prepare a place for you heaven's inner city. What is the city it's a place where people live. It's a place for commerce is done. It's a place where you can eat in a restaurant or go watch a concert or do the work you're there to do heaven since city. It's not like a city. It is a city. Heaven is a country as of like the country.
It is a country. Heaven is a paradise.
These are words the Bible uses and we need to remember were going to a real place heaven is a prepared place for prepared people. Are you prepared heard about a little boy that was off-line as Teichman went up so high you can even see it.
The memo client saw the string going up and said you don't boy him. He said fly my kite. Mr. McKay supply can even see her kite. How do you know it's still there little guy said I can feel it's Todd in the same way as Christians we can feel the tug of heaven, and that helps us to start thinking about eternal things more. I want you to notice something else. Abraham lived in a tent, which meant he was always on the move. He never built a permanent home and I don't know if you've noticed you live in a tent to me literally but your body and the Bible is described as a tent. Second Corinthians 5 once as we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down. That is when we die and leave this body, we have a house in heaven, and eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands