the table (what attitude are you bringing)

 

 

1.What attitude are you bringing to the table?

 

Luke 18:9-14 (NLT)

Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: [10] "Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. [11] The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: 'I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don't cheat, I don't sin, and I don't commit adultery. I'm certainly not like that tax collector! [12] I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.' [13] "But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, 'O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.' [14] I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."

The attitude of the Pharisee.

•    God I belong here.

•                God I thank you that I'm so much better than the rest of the world.

•                God I'm so glad that you chose me, called me, destined me for greatness and you bypassed so many others.

Or the attitude of the despised tax collector.

•    God be merciful to me.

•    Forgive me.

•                I don't always live life right.

•                I'm not perfect.

•                There are times I am so selfish God, change me, shape my thinking, rearrange my life.

 

2. Attitude of gratitude or an attitude of entitlement?

•    People live in a attitude of entitlement rather than gratitude.

•                Entitlement says you owe me, gratitude says you owe me nothing. 

•                Entitlement says what will you give me, gratitude says what can I give?

•                Entitlement says give that to me now, where gratitude says I'm so thankful for what I have now, what I am now, and God what you are doing in me in the now.

 

3. Attitude will determine your altitude in every situation.

•                Attitude will make or break your future, your perspective on life, in life, and all through life.

•    I've seen people give up on life, give up on people, give up on themselves, and worst of all give up on God.

•    God never promised ease, never promised abundance, never promised that hard work would not be a part of our every day, and never promised us simple solutions to our every problem.

 

Acts 2:46-47, NLT "They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity--all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved."

 

1.They worshipped together.

1.We have to worship in unison, we have to come together in a plan, a strategy that will change ourselves, culture, society, and everyone who would connect themselves.

2.You have to choose to worship God and go all out to Him.

3.Forget bystanders, forget the Devil, forget society, ,forget shallow relationships, forget anyone that would try to keep you from worshipping Him and worship!

4.They prayed for each other and deeply cared about the well being of their community and those entering their community.

2.Shared with joy and generosity.

1.What? 

2.They shared their food with what?

3.Joy and generosity.

3.Continually thanking God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people.

1.goodwill-Friendly, helpful, or cooperative feelings or attitude.

2.Thanking God is an action.

1.You have to speak it, act it out, declare it, and live in it with a sincerity about you.

4.A healthy Christian community attracts people to Christ.

1.Like a moth to a flame.

2.Like kids to candy.

3.Like a magnet to metal.

1.The church's zeal at this time for worship and concerned love was contagious.

2.A healthy, loving church will grow in numbers.

4.What are you doing to make your church your student ministry the kind of place that will attract others to Christ?

1.We each have to ask the question in and of ourselves what am I doing or not doing to grow myself, grow others, and grow the global church by reaching others for the cause of Christ?

1.We can each make excuses, we can each choose to be connected or disconnected, we can each choose what our attitude will reflect but ultimately it's the world that suffers.

2.It's our family that suffers, it's our peers that suffer, heaven suffers, and it will eventually make us suffer.

 

1.In these verses we have the history of the truly primitive church, the first days of it; its state of infancy and the state of its greatest innocence.

2.These Christians kept close to the plans and purposes of God, overflowed in respect, reverence, devotion for God; for Christianity.

1.God continues to remind me that He is able.

2.He continues to remind me that He is able to do the impossible.

1.God spread the good news of Jesus Christ sacrifice to a world without cell phones, Internet, Facebook, twitter, and email.

2.God did it without speakers, flyers, concerts, conference, guest cards, electricity, planes, trains or automobiles.

3.He used His Spirit.

1.Maybe we should rethink our strategy, plans, programming, and structure.

3.These Christians were part of a regenerating grace.

1.God refuses to close heavens mercy, refuses to close heavens grace so that all may come to know Him.

2.God "so loved the world, John 3:16" not God so hated us, not God is so displeased with us, not God can't wait to catch you doing something wrong but God "so loved" us that His Son chose to trade His perfect existence for our imperfect one.

4.Christ's attitude was of overwhelming, confusing difference to culture, society, religion and law than that of any other king since the beginning of time. Exuding character, compassion, forgiveness, humility, servitude and vision.

 

Acts 4:32-33 (NLT) "All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. [33] The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God's great blessing was upon them all."

 

1.God's great blessing was upon them all.

1.God's great favor and protection was upon them all.

 

Philippians 2:4 (NLT)

"Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too."

 

This was the life of Jesus.





October Series