DO YOU WANT TO BE SAFE OR BRAVE?

 

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(This was a message given by Pastor Oscar Muriu of Nairobi Chapel at Every Nation World Conference 2016, Day 1.)

Are the things you are living for worth Christ’s dying for?

For Christ’s love compels us. (2 Corinthians 5:14-20)

Selfishness has become an accepted feature in Christianity.
It’s become how God will help me and bless me. We have to remember that the purpose of my life doesn’t revolve around myself.
We act as if God belongs to us rather than us belonging to Him.
God is not interested in your plans for your life but for your involvement in His plans for your life.

Whatever is to my profit, I now consider loss. (Philippians 3:7-9)

There are no great advances made in Christianity by men who are unwilling to give up their lives. We have to remember, we no longer live for ourselves any longer.

We are Christ’s ambassadors, given the ministry of reconciliation.
Each day, about 155,000 people slip into Christless eternity
It will take a sacrifice to not live for self.

Here’s the choice that our Father wants us to understand as Christians – and I believe this is the choice of our age: “Do you want to be brave or safe? … because you cannot be both!” (Gary Haugen, International Justice Mission)

Brave means trusting God for your future.
Brave means to not know the details before obeying.
Brave means that God doesn’t have to ask for your permission.
Brave means that God doesn’t have to explain before you obey.

If your God has to ask you first then he is a small god.
Brave is not the absence of fear but the assurance of His peace.

Jesus proved His love on the cross.
He doesn’t have to prove His love for you again.

You and I are dead to ourselves when we gave our lives to Christ.
Dead men are no longer afraid. They don’t flinch.
Poke them and they will not react.
However, some of us have never died. We just fainted.
There’s still self-preservation left inside the coffin.

Challenging question: “Is what you’re living for worth Christ’s dying for?”

WHEN YOU’RE SCARED TO DO HIS WILL

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Have you ever been scared to step out in faith to accomplish what God has called you to do?

I have. Many times.

I spoke to a teacher yesterday who stood up for her convictions regarding purity in front of her class. She works in a school that is extremely secular. As a result, she got severely reprimanded for voicing out what the Scriptures say. I told her that God’s authority supersedes all human authority. I prayed for wisdom and discernment so she can do what God has called her to do.

To some it’s standing for your convictions.
For others, it may mean saying no to ungodly business practices.
Or saying no to your boyfriend who wants you to go all the way.
For a few others, it’s asking for forgiveness to let go of some form of bitterness.

Whatever your circumstance might be, it is not our ability that validates the call to do His will, but the presence of God in all that we do.

Moses in Exodus gave God a barrage of questions.
“Who am I to do this?”
“What will I say?”
“How will I do this?” (Ex. 3:11-12)
But God only gave one answer, “I will be with you.”

That’s it?
Yup. That’s it.
“I will be with you.”

You see, it doesn’t matter who you are as long as you know who He is.
And it doesn’t matter who you’ll be up against as long as you know Who is with you.

May this encourage you this week as you discover, do and delight in His will.

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PHOTO CREDIT: https://www.flickr.com/photos/128130103@N07/