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OBCC 6/23/2013

“THE VALUE OF

VICTORIOUS SECRETS”

Pt #3 “Give Yourself Away”

Four weeks ago I began this series on the “Value of Victorious Secrets”. As I mentioned, we aren’t talking about ladies lingerie, we are talking about Biblical Truth that has the ability to take you into a life of victorious living

  • I mentioned that we all know of people that “things go right for them” and others that always seem to struggle.
  • We saw that even though me might think that success or failure is due to nationality, culture, family,upbringing, education or even the devil, there are people from every different cultural, economic and social background that are living good lives
  • We even saw that there are people with no regard for God or right that prosper. (Hollywood)

I told you that this series is intended to get you unstuck in life and give you the needed traction to move ahead from where you are

  • I want to help you to realize that God has provided a way for every person to succeed in this life

Three weeks ago we learned that the Words We Speak and the Words We Take to Heart are SEEDS that will produce a harvest in our live and others

  • My title was: “Words Frame Our Life”

PRO 18:20-21 A man's stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth, and from the produce of his lips he shall be filled. 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Two weeks ago I spoke on the secret of Faithfulness.

  • We saw that faithfulness means (reliable, those worthy of being trusted)
  • I said that you can quote every verse on prosperity in the Bible, but without faithfulness you will never receive the promotion of the Lord.

“Faith without faithfulness is only folly.”

  • I said to start where you are, with what you have, and do right with it

LUK 16:10 – 12"He who is faithful (reliable and worthy of being trusted)in what is least is faithful reliable and worthy of being trusted also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. 11 "Therefore if you have not been faithfulreliable and worthy of being trustedin the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 "And if you have not been faithfulreliable and worthy of being trusted in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?

PSA 31:23 Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints! For the LORD preserves the faithful,(reliable, those worthy of being trusted)And fully repays the proud person.

  • So far we have seen 2 Biblical Truths, orVictorious Secrets: (1) “Your Words Are Seeds”, and (2)“Faithfulness Brings Reward”.

Today we’ll look at Secret #3: “Give Yourself Away”

  • I have mentioned many times that our culture is all about me and my rights. We pamper ourselves, want to be served, believe that we deserve more and that even God is supposed to quickly jump when we call.
  • This thinking is very prevalent and accepted as “Christian”.
  • We hold fast to our rights, somehow believing that our personal desires and personal fulfillment is what Christianity is all about

Today I am going to address this great misunderstanding and talk about“Embracing a lifestyle ofSACRIFICE AND DENIAL”.

  • A Life of Sacrifice and Denialalmost seems like a contradiction when we are talking about “Secrets to Victorious Living.
  • Many people believe that Victorious Living means that I have everything I want and everyone takes care of me.
  • The idea of “Giving Myself Away” does not appeal to my desire for ease and comfort
  • A secret to spiritual maturity and abundant life is not seeing how much you can get; it is growing past personal focus and fulfillment and learning how to give your life away.
  • Christianity is not about me,it is about living like Jesus who modeled denial of self, service to God and pouring himself into others.
  • It is not about building your kingdom with possessions and prestige, it’s about building God’s kingdom and becoming a servant.

WE NEED TO “LIVE TO GIVE, NOT LIVE TO GET”

PHI 2:1 - 8

1 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross

THE MORE WE ARE AROUND JESUS THE MORE WE SHOULD REALIZE AS JOHN THE BAPTIST….

JOH 3:30"He must increase, but I must decrease.

  • To build our life of sacrifice, we have to get out of the picture and Jesus has to be the focus.

All of us know people that we say, “ARE FULL OF THEMSELVES”. PEOPLE THAT ARE A LEGEND IN THEIR OWN MINDS. They only talk about themselves. Their successes, failures, hurts, wants, disappointments etc.

  • How do people like that make you feel?
  • Do these people inspire you to become like them?
  • Do they remind you of Jesus?

THERE ARE PEOPLE YOU GET AROUND AND THEY IMPART LIFE INTO YOU. YOU KNOW THAT THEY REALLY CARE AND WANT THE BEST FOR YOU. OTHERS SEEM TO DRAIN YOU AND LEAVE YOU EMPTY.

  • WHICH ONE ARE YOU?
  • It’s time to get away from the mirror and loot to how you can give yourself away to serve others

TRUE GROWTH IN CHRIST AND VICTORIOUS LIVING IS NOT MEASURED BY MORE BIBLE KNOWLEDGE, MORE STUFF OR MORE PRESTIGE OR STATUS

IT IS CHARACTERIZED BY, “OTHER’S VISION”. OUR FOCUS IS ON MEETING THE NEEDS OF OTHERS AND MAKING THEM SUCCEED AND PUSHING THEM FORWARD.

BILL GOTHARD ASKS THE QUESTION, “Who are you trying to make a success? Who are you pushing forward so that they can succeed, Yourself or someone else?

There are people who have been Christians most of their life, yet they are still self focused, others who are relatively young in Christ are focused on living in the fullness of God and giving that life away to everyone they meet.

  • One group is sensitive, self-absorbed and easily offended, while the others are happy and even seem oblivious to insults or hurtful people.
  • One group is self focused and thinks everything revolves around them, while the others don’t see their own struggles, they see the hurts of others.
  • One group gripes, complains and is never happy, the others blesses, prays, gives positive reports and has the joy of the Lord.

Jesus had to deal with this same attitude with His disciples

LUK 22:23-27Then they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing. 24 But there was also rivalry among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. 25 And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.' 26 "But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. 27 "For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.

MAT 23:11,12 "But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 "And whoever exalts himself will be abased, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

The Victorious Christian Life begins at our point of death

JOH 12:24-25"Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. 25 "He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

HOW DO I BECOME A DEAD MAN WHO IMPARTS LIFE AND CHANGE MY SELF-CENTERED MIND SET AND DEVELOP A LIFE OF SACRIFICE?

1. REPENT OF SELF-CENTEREDNESS, PRIDE, AND PROLONGED SPIRITUALIMMATURITY AND LET THIS MIND BE IN YOU THAT WAS IN CHRIST JESUS

2. TELL JESUS YOU WANT TO BE LIKE HIM, EMPTY OF SELF AND FULL OF HIM.

3. ASK JESUS TO GIVE YOU OPPORTUNITIES TO DECREASE AND FOR HIM TO INCREASE IN YOUR LIFE.

4. DETERMINE TO CRUCIFY YOUR PRIDE THAT SAYS YOU ARE SPECIAL ANDDESERVE BETTER, AND FIND SOMEONE OR SOMEWHERE TO SERVE, W/O RECOGNITION.

5. DETERMINE TO DO YOUR SERVICE AND SACRIFICE AS UNTO THE LORDAND REFUSE TO BE CONCERNED WHO GETS THE CREDIT.

6. FIND A NEED, A PROJECT, OR A PLACE TO VOLUNTEER THAT WILL HELP SOMEONE ELSE W/O ANY PERSONAL BENEFIT TO YOU.

REMEMBER I SAID BEFORE THAT WE NEED TO “LIVE TO GIVE, NOT LIVE TO GET”

JOH 10:15-18"As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 "And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. 17 "Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 "No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father."

CONCLUSION:

THE CHOICE IS YOURS; TO GROW UP OR REMAIN THE SAME

  • TO BUILD A LIFE OF SACRIFICE, IT IS GOING TO BE ONE BRICK AT A TIME.
  • EVERY DAY YOU ARE GOING TO BE FACED WITH CHOICES, (WHICH ARE THE INDIVIDUAL BRICKS). YOU WILL EITHER HUMBLE YOURSELF, CHOOSE A LIFE OF SACRIFICE, ADD A BRICK TO THE BUILDING, OR REJECT THE BRICK AND STAY A IMMATURE, SELF-CENTERED BABY CHRISTIAN.
  • VICTORIOUS SECRET #3… “GIVE YOURSELF AWAY TO THE PURPOSES OF GOD BY “Embracing a lifestyle ofSACRIFICE AND DENIAL”.

E:\Victorious Secrets #3 Give Yourself Away.doc