Fortunately, God doesn’t worry about keeping the best pastors for the big cities. On any given Sunday morning, in the Middle-Of-Nowhere, NY, you’ll hear some of the most powerful preaching from one of the best men. This past Sunday, it sounded like this:
Everyday. Wake up and remind yourself that there is a God in heaven.
And that you live to serve Him.
Everyday. Wake up and remind yourself that Christ died to save you from your sins and reconcile you to God so that you can live every moment of every day in a way that pleases Him and brings glory to Him.
Everyday. Wake up and remind yourself that you are no longer a slave of sin, but you are now a slave of righteousness and are called to live pleasing to Him in all things.
Everyday. Wake up and remind yourself that the purpose for your life is far greater than your own fulfillment, your own peace of mind, or your own happiness. You were born for His purpose.
Everyday. Wake up and remind yourself that your greatest pleasure is found in bringing glory to Him, and that your greatest delight will be in hearing the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of the Lord.”
Everyday. Wake up and remind yourself that this world is passing, and the momentary and light affliction that you might be facing now is producing for you an eternal reward. And that your focus will not be on the temporal, that which is passing; but your focus will be on the eternal, that which will never pass away.
Everyday. Wake up and remind yourself that God doesn’t exist for you – you exist for Him. Remind yourself that He is not your servant – you are His servant. Remind yourself that He owes you nothing but that you owe Him everything.
Everyday. Wake up and remind yourself that you were purchased for God by the precious blood of Christ, the costly blood of Christ, that God spared nothing in pursuing you. And that the life you now live is not your own; you belong to Him.
Everyday. Wake up and remind yourself that you have been made a partaker of the divine nature — the precious Holy Spirit has made you alive to God, and that the power of the Holy Spirit in you is sufficient to carry you through every difficulty, every challenge, every snare, and every temptation – and to strengthen you in the midst of all adversity.
Everyday. Wake up and remind yourself that your worth comes from Him – the one who bought you. And if the world around you fails completely to see your worth, it doesn’t change a thing – your worth is settled in Him. He loved you and gave it all for you.
Everyday. Wake up and remind yourself that you have a part to play in the unfolding plan of God. That you are called to serve Him and to impact the lives of people around you through prayer, giving, serving, and sowing. And that nothing and no one can stop you from walking out His kingdom will for your life.
Everyday. Wake up and remind yourself that your labor in the Lord matters – that He sees your love, your sacrifice, and your patience toward all men, and especially toward the saints, and that He will not forget your work and labor of love.
Everyday. Wake up and remind yourself that you are a valued part of the Body of Christ, the people of God in the earth today. And that you are called to strengthen the body through love by supplying what only you can supply.
Everyday. Wake up and remind yourself that you are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
Everyday. Wake up and remind yourself that His intended purpose was to adopt you as His own in Jesus Christ!
Everyday. Wake up and remind yourself that you have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
Everyday. Wake up and remind yourself that this world is passing away, along with everything that seems so appealing; but that he who does the will of God abides forever.
Everyday. Wake up and remind yourself that apart from Jesus Christ you can do nothing; but in Jesus Christ you can do all things
Everyday. Wake up and remind yourself that you will not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. And that your meat is to do the will of God.
—from the sermon series on Ephesians
My very special daughter in law sent me a link to your blog this morning. Little did she know that I have been listening to the Ephesian sermon series for the past month or so and loving it. I am through about the fifth sermon in chapter five of Ephesians. I recommend listening to the entire series as it is some of the best preaching I have ever heard. The entire book (letter) is looked at and treated in such a way as to get at the heart of the matter. Looking at various details but always returning to the big picture and the gospel is always reiterated. It is evident that this preacher took the time and did the hard work to serve up something really excellent to us the congregation and we are the beneficiaries of all that labor. It seemed to me that the Holy Spirit was at work in a special sort of way throughout the preaching of this serires. After reading your post it looks as if the best is yet to come!