Watch Where You’re Going! Pt.2
Keep You’re Eyes on The Road!
Clutch
Student Ministries Pastor Jordan Biel Rock of
Grace A/G 03.01.2006
Upon accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior, we begin
journey, with God to God.
In this journey on earth, we must not allow Satan to
distract, detour, or dismantle us from our Destiny on Earth
and our Destination in Heaven. See, Satan knows we on our way to Heaven, he
knows he’s lost, but if he can
distract us from Heaven, if he can get our
eyes off the prize – our eyes off of Heaven, he can then detour us
and make us go where God never
intended. Satan wants first to distract
us.
Last week, we started this message on how to watch where
we’re going – how to live with purpose
Don’t Be distracted and don’t be
detoured and don’t be disengaged.
Eph 5:15-19 “So
be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. 16 Make
the most of every opportunity
for doing good in these evil days. 17 Don't act thoughtlessly, but try to understand
what the Lord wants you to do.
18 Don't be drunk
with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill
and control you.” NLT
2 Thess. 3:13 “never get tired of doing good.” NLT
Watch
where you’re Going!
We’re on our way to Heaven! Don’t
give up on the goal.
The
way to stay on track – to stay on the road to Heaven is to live for God
now.
Live
with self-control, with passion for God, with the purpose God’s given you.
You Have a destiny and a destination
1. A Destiny (a
God-given purpose)
*Fulfilling
your God-given purpose, your destiny keeps you from being detoured and
disengaged.
Jesus
said that He came to give us “abundant life” that means a great life – a life with
purpose
and fulfillment – fun, adventure, challenges…
Living
out your destiny – your God-given purpose is going have risks involved.
“Somehow
we all know that to play it safe is to lose the game.” – Erwin McManus
We’ve
only got one chance to “make the most of every opportunity.” Time goes by so fast.
“Time
waits for no one.” – Erwin McManus Seizing Your Divine Moment
In
fulfilling your destiny – in taking the journey that God has for you, there’s gonna be a lot of things that you’re unsure of.
But
there is one thing you can always be sure of – GOD is with You!
In
living out your destiny, you can not
afford to live in the past – constantly feeling discouraged from
yesterday’s mistake.
In
the same way, if you’re constantly looking at
what’s behind you, the mistakes you’ve made in the past, you will soon wreck.
You
will wreck life. You’ll be a mess;
you’ll be constantly depressed, discouraged, and detoured from what God wants
you to do.
WATCH
WHERE YOU’RE GOING!!!
“To
relive the past is to relinquish (give up) the future.” – Erwin McManus
Don’t
dwell on y-day’s mistake! Learn from it
and move on. Just think – you’ve got
today and
you
might even have tomorrow!
In
Deut. 30:15-20, God gave the people a choice.
He said, you can choose death or life, blessings our curses,
“Now choose Life…” -God
Deut. 30:15-20
We
all have the choice to live our
lives, submitted to GOD- free to be an agent of change for God or
To
ignore GOD altogether and live with the consequences – going through pain alone
– never assured of success, hope, or anything.
God
is challenging many of you tonight: “Choose Life”
You
do have a destiny. God has a unique plan
for your life. And every decision
affects that.
“Your
decisions determine your destiny.”
-Richard Crisco (Every decision!)
That
couldn’t be any more true. The decision
you make tonight affects the rest of your life.
The
decisions you make tomorrow at school determine your future. Whether you’ll be engrossed in the desire to
be popular or
captivated
by the fact that somebody in your class has thought about suicide lately. Will you be so self-conscious of your looks
or
will you be God-conscious that 1 out of 4 girls in your classroom has been
raped or sexually assaulted (EMERGE Ministries / AACC facts)
The
decisions you make every day will determine if you’re in control or if God’s in
control. If you choose to make the most
of every opportunity,
if
you choose to be faithful in the things you’re given to do, your future is
affected.
Jesus
said that when you are faithful over little, He’ll make in charge over a
lot! He’ll make you successful, in life
and in eternity.
Read Jesus’ parable in Matt. 25:13 –
Matt 25:13-46
13 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the
day or the hour.
14 "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey,
who called his servants and entrusted his property to them.
15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two
talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability.
Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received the
five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more.
17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18
But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground
and hid his master's money.
19 "After a long time the master of those servants
returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received the five
talents
brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me
with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'
21 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful
servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of
many things.
Come and share your master's happiness!'
22 "The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,'
he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'
23 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful
servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of
many things.
Come and share your master's happiness!'
24 "Then the man who had received the one talent came.
'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have
not
sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So
I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what
belongs to you.'
26 "His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So
you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not
scattered seed?
27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with
the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with
interest.
28 "'Take the talent from him and give it to the one
who has the ten talents. 29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he
will have an
abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be
taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness,
where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the
angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the
nations will be
gathered before him, and he will separate the people one
from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put
the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 "Then the King will say to those on his right,
'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom
prepared for
you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and
you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,
I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes
and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you
came to visit me.' 37
"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and
feed you, or thirsty and give you something
to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you
in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison
and go to visit you?'
40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth,
whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for
me.'
41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from
me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his
angels.
42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was
thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not
invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I
was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
44 "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you
hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and
did not help you?'
45 "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you
did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
46 "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but
the righteous to eternal life."
NIV
Key
Verses:
Matt
25:21 "His master replied,
'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few
things;
I will put you in
charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!” NIV
Matt
25:40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of
the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” NIV
How
do you live your life? – existing, surviving or thriving with purpose?
Listen
to Paul’s words in…
Phil
1:20-24 “For I live in eager
expectation and hope that I will never do anything that causes me shame,
but that I will
always be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past, and that my life will
always honor Christ,
whether I live or
I die. 21 For to me, living is for Christ,
and dying is even better. 22 Yet if I live, that means
fruitful service for
Christ. I really don't know which is better. 23 I'm torn between two desires:
Sometimes I want to live,
and sometimes I long to go and be with Christ.
That would be far better for me, 24 but it is better for you that I live.” NLT
GOOD
Question: Is it better for others that
you continue to live?
If
you choose to live a life that God guides, others are greatly benefited from
it. If you choose to live a life that
only
you decide what happens, only you are benefited. And when only you are benefited from your
life’s endeavors,
you will never be happy and fulfilled.
Our
greatest fulfillment in life comes from being in the presence of God and
allowing His presence in our lives to
change
everyone around us.
Paul
had such a deep desire to see Christ – such a love for Him, that he wouldn’t
mind if he did die because he
wanted
to see Him so badly. (He was not suicidal!)
Paul
chose to live his life making a difference, advancing the
And
make disciples. WHATCH WHERE YOU’RE
GOING!!!
You’re
life will soon be over – what’s on the other side is up to you.
You
have a destiny and a destination. What’s
yours?
2. A Destination
(Heaven is our Home)
Jesus
is coming back to take His family, Christians who serve Him, home to be with
Him in Heaven forever.
Titus 2:13 “…we
look forward to that wonderful event when the glory of our great God and
Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.
NLT
The way you live out your destiny determines where
you’re destination is.
If you live your life for yourself – the
destination is Hell. But if you live
your life for GOD, and live out His destiny
for your life, your destiny is Heaven.
Listen to what Jesus said about the correspondence
between being faithful now and receiving reward in Heaven.
Read
Matt. 24:36-51
Matt 24:45-51 "Are
you a wise and faithful servant of the Lord? Have I given you the task
of managing my household,
to feed my children day by day? 46 Blessings on
you if I return and find you faithfully doing your work.
47 I will put such faithful ones in charge of everything I own! 48 "But if you are evil and say to yourself,
'My Lord won't be coming for a while,' 49 and begin oppressing your
fellow servants, partying and getting drunk,
50 your Lord will arrive unannounced and unexpected, …and send you off
to the judgment of the hypocrites;
there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
TLB
If you feel like you don’t have what it take to
live for God, being God’s hands and feet on the earth, maybe
you feel like you’ve messed-up too many times, God
says that you have what it takes! Listen
to what God
had Paul write in…
1 Cor 1:7-9 “Now you have every grace
and blessing; every spiritual gift and power for doing His will are
yours during this
time of waiting for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 And He
guarantees right up to the end that you will be counted free
from all sin and guilt on that… day when He returns. 9 God will surely
do this for you, for He always does just what He says,
and He is the one who invited you into this wonderful friendship with
His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” TLB
There is no excuse not to make a impact for God! Jesus said
in 3 parables how harshly He will judge those who
do nothing with the gift of life they’ve been
given. We must take our mission and our
purpose to reach people
for God seriously!
- or we will be judged! If we do
take what God’s given us out – if we tell people about what
God’s done in our lives – if we do make an impact
for Him, He will reward you beyond what you could ever imagine!
SYATP was sad!
There was more adults than students!
Take advantage of every opportunity you have to be the
light of Christ in your school! When you have SYATP, invite everyone, put up
posters(we’ll make them for you) see
if you can have a PA Sound System out there and
worship and have one you give a short message then join together
– all of you in prayer for your schools – in prayer
that God would save them!
Keep your eyes on the Road! Watch where you’re going! Your friends destination in eternity is more
important
than some “extracurricular activity.” Use those activities: Sports, cheerleading,
clubs, choir, to be faithful to Christ
– show those peers the love of God, tell them about
what God’s done in your life, invite them to youth,
to U-NiTE services, make
an impact.
“You impress people from a distance, but you impact
them up close.” -Brother Richard C.
If you have a Bible Study, talk to your principal
and see if you can get a school assembly, I’ll come and speak.
Or see if you can just get a time to have a big
“get-together” in the gym and the whole youth group will come!
Imagine what you could do – what God could do if
you only did everything possible to reach your school for Christ.
This is your time, your opportunity to reach these
students around you. You are the Clutch
Student Minister!
If you want to be faithful to God with what He’s
given you, if you want to live out the destiny that He has for your life,
you’ve got to step-it-up!
You’ve got to…
Ø
Wake-up in the
morning praying that God will lead you to somebody today to tell them
about Jesus!
Ø
Go to school
asking God to help you reach out to the kid that no one likes
Ø
Not get
distracted by all the “things you have to do” that you miss the opportunity God
gives you to
witness to somebody.
Are you living or just existing?
Are you doing nothing (like those guys in that
video) or are you taking up your cross, enduring criticism,
telling others about God, making an impact in this
generation - then you’re living! You’re
destination is
Heaven and you will have fulfilled your destiny.
ALTAR CALL
- to repent for taking our eyes off the road, repent
for being distracted by the temporary things of life.
This is your chance to
make a decision that altars your coarse – that puts you back on that path that
God designed for you.
Allow God to speak to you about Your Destiny – the purpose that GOD has for
you. Paul said to pray and think about
what it is GOD wants
us to do. Only when we do this do we
find true fulfillment and joy in life.