What's your price?

Intro: “Let’s make a deal.”
Illustrate here: Challenge students to do different things even crazy things for a dollar as an opener to the sermon. 

In life—the enemy will continuously try to find out your price.

• What do I mean when I say “Price?”
• The point at which you exchange (or sell out) your destiny for a lesser, more convenient calling or lifestyle.

Bible says: “Count the cost!”

Example of the wedding ring: There’s something more important than monetary value…it’s the purpose
and meaning!!

Genesis 39:2-12 “The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered, and lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. So he left in Joseph’s care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he refused, “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible. One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants were inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.”


4 requirements in Resisting Temptation to sell out in your life’s journey.

1. As a Christian living life’s journey:
You must not be weakened by your situation!

• Joseph had it made!
• Economically, he was secure.
• Vocationally, he was trusted and respected.
• Personally, he was handsome and charming.
• He could have said to himself…”Do I really want to ‘Rock the Boat’ and risk losing all this?”
• You may be popular, influential and everybody’s friend—but one thing I've found out:

“If everyone likes you and you have no enemies –You probably aren't taking a stand for much of anything!”

Even Jesus has enemies!

Problem with most Christians: They never want to “Rock the boat” with their lifestyles or cause any problems in their life’s journey because they love their compromised existence too much.

Joseph said to himself… “I love my life, but my price is much higher!”

2. As a Christian living life’s journey:

• You must not be deceived by the persuasion!
• Your Tempter, temptress or the voice in your mind will say all the right things!
• “Just this once, never, never again.” (Pregnant example-drug example-drinking example-sex example-fight example)
• “All my friends get away with it.”
• “It doesn't really affect me.”
• “I’m so terribly lonely-God understands. That’s why he brought you in to my life.”
• “What’s grace all about if it won’t cover something as meaningless as this.”
• “Look, we’re gonna get married soon, why wait. What does it matter?”
• “Who will ever find out?”
• “I will still be happy.”
• “I will still go to Heaven.”
• “I can still be successful and not pay the price of purity.” 
• WRONG!

The enemy will bait you things, people, or situations that feel very right!

Don’t be deceived by the persuasion, no matter how beautiful and appealing the offer or the words may sound.

Remember that it is all a lie!

• If you believe that somehow temptations, once resisted, will vanish. YOU are deceived!
• Day after day Joseph was tempted!!

The enemy wants influential people to fail he desires our complete annihilation!

• Realize; there is no sin in the bait, the sin is in the bite!
• Sources of bait: TV, Internet, opposite sex, same sex, friends, career, sports, magazines, and coworkers.

3. As a Christian living life’s journey:

• You must not be gentle with your emotions!
• Your inner feelings will plead to take the road of least resistance and self-satisfaction!
• Your emotions are where rationalization resides.

American Heritage Dictionary- “Rationalize” – to devise reasonable, but untrue explanations. To justify one’s weakness or failures.

It is the process of telling yourself “its okay” so many times, that you actually condone or believe a lie!

• What did Joseph do? He ran!!!
• He didn’t linger in her presence!
• He didn’t take time to pray for a sign!!
• HE RAN!!

4. Finally, as a Christian living life’s journey:
You must not be confused with the immediate results!

Genesis 39:16-21 “She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.” When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger. Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the King’s prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in prison, the Lord was with him.”

Remember: Joseph obeyed God and was thrown into prison!

• “God may not pay on Friday, but He always pays on time.
• Realize; things may not all “line up” immediately after you obey, but in time, the payoff will come.

I Peter 2:20 “Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.”


AT WHAT PRICE will you sell out?

• The enemy never offers things that won’t destroy you! 
• He will always lead you down a path of addiction.
• He will leave you in the height of your life.
• He will desert you just when you need him.
• His addictions will never run out.
• He always offers things and promises things but always delivers death.
• His promises and all his earthly things will only last a season.
• The enemy doesn’t care about your future, your family, or your agenda he just cares about your complete annihilation.
• He’s selling and you are bartering with him.
• The only thing he accepts is your surrender and your soul.

You can’t win against him alone.

You have to realize that the battle is not yours but it is the Lord’s and He always wins!


Join us next week for our series final: 

Oxymoron Non-forgiving Christians

Non-forgiving Christians, is an oxymoron in the fact that the foundational element of the bible is God's plan of redemption(the action of saving, or being saved from sin, error, or evil. Rescuing from sin's hold and clearing the debt.) for mankind.

•      Throughout the pages of God's Word, you can find His desire for you to be saved and forgiven.

•                  God loved you so much that He did everything to provide forgiveness for you, except make you receive it.

•      That one small part is yours to play.

•      God's forgiveness is available for you today.

1. God's Word guarantees that forgiveness is available to everyone regardless of background.

Romans 10:13 (NLT)

For "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Acts 10:34 (NLT)

Then Peter replied, "I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism."

•      No matter who you are or where your from God's forgiveness is available to you.

•      Forgiveness is a godly attribute, quality and characteristic.

•                  Showing it, receiving it, giving it to someone else, forgiveness is a powerful weapon in your life, you are never more like Christ than when you are forgiving.

2. God's Word guarantees that if you repent, you will be forgiven.

1 John 1:9 (NLT) "But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness."

•      Forgiveness is obtained by a choice you make to receive God's gift.

•                  Although forgiveness is free, it is only possible if you humble yourself, admit you we're wrong, and acknowledge your need for God.

•      Many people fail to admit they are wrong and acknowledge their need for God.

•      They have a head knowledge of what God has done for them but they refuse God's gift, refuse His love, refuse His forgiveness and His way of escape.

•                  Repent-to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the change of one's life.

3. God's Word guarantees that you are forgiven when you choose to forsake your sin.

Proverbs 28:13 (NLT)

"People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy."

•      God's desire is that you forsake(desert) the things that cause you to stumble and grow in a relationship with Him each day.

•                  Desert it, cut it loose, stop going back to, stop needing it, and acting as if you can't function without it.

4. God's Word guarantees that Jesus paid the price for your forgiveness so you don't have to.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NLT) "For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ."

•      By taking our punishment for us, Jesus made a way for us to be forgiven.

•                  There is no debt left to pay, it has been paid in full.

•                  Jesus was, is, and always will be the payment.

5. God's Word guarantees that we're forgiven by faith, not by works.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT) "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. [9] Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it."

•      It's not by your own strength or anything that you have done that you are forgiven.

•      There is nothing you can do to earn your way into heaven.

•                  You can't be good enough, educate yourself enough, work hard enough, or buy your way into heaven.

•      It is simply by the work of Jesus' dying on the cross and rising again that you have been forgiven.

6. God's Word guarantees that when you are forgiven, God no longer remembers your sin.

Hebrews 10:17 (NLT)

Then he says, "I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds."

•      God's forgiveness is a complete work.

•                  There is no next step.

•      The slate is wiped clean.

•                  The sin is remembered no more.

7. The bible guarantees that God desires to forgive you because of His love for you.

Romans 8:32 (NLT)

"Since He did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, won't He also give us everything else?"

•      God's love for you is so great that He gave His own son to pay the price for your forgiveness.

•                  No one forced God to provide a way of forgiveness.

•                  He did it because He loves you.

Romans 12:8 (NLT)

"If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly."

Oxymoron Christianity

Oxymoron-figure of speech that combines contradictory terms.

Jumbo shrimp

Act Naturally

Numbing sensation

Free will

Passive Aggression

Same Difference

Country Music

Crash landing

Work party

Plastic glass

Alone in a crowd

Freezer burn

Found missing

Pretty ugly

Head butt

These terms are in direct conflict of each other when said together.

•                It's so easy to follow what everyone else is doing, it's so easy to just drift along with what culture and society feeds you.

•                It so easy to fake relationships so hard to be real.

This month we are going to deal with some issues that Christians are supposed to have the upper hand on.

Romans 12:8 (NLT)

"If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly."

•                Non-serving Christian is oxymoronic terminology.

•                Non-giving Christian?

•                Selfish Christian?

•                Unforgiving Christian?

                       UnChristlike Christian?

•    They've already coined the phrase and pinned down a name for people who don't love or believe in God, nonChristian, unbeliever.

•    These terms are like light and darkness, good and evil wrapped up in the same creation, can't happen!

•                Jesus Christ was the most unselfish, forgiving, serving, giving person that ever walked the earth. How does selfish and Christian make its way into the same sentence, it can't!

1.           Be Encouraging.

•    The word encourage literally means to pour in courage, inspiration, and confidence.

•                I see people with talents that God has given them that they refuse to use for Him.

•                I see people refusing to tap into their God ordained, God given potential therefore allowing them to remain ordinary, unproductive, and utterly deceived.

2. Be giving.

•    Give to get?

•    Give to get credit?

•    Give to get a pat on the back?

•    Or give to be honored by God Himself?

Matthew 6:1-4 (NLT)

"Watch out! Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. [2] When you give to someone in need, don't do as the hypocrites do-blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. [3] But when you give to someone in need, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. [4] Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you."

•    When you give, not if.

•                When-denotes a specific moment in time.

•    Give not because your coaxed or made to or rewarded but do it because God sees everything and He will reward you.

•                Give because you trust in God, give because He will prove Himself to you in your giving.

•                If you never give how can God prove to you that He will give you in abundance.

•                How can He rebuke the devour-er for your sake?

•                How can He make you the head not the tail, first not the last, blessed and not cursed if you refuse to test Him in the area of giving? 

3. Lead.

•    Lead is a God word, lead is a Christ word lead is a word of service, fortitude, compassion and destiny.

•                A non-leading Christian would be a Christian unsure of their faith, confused about their belief, uncertain of their assurance in God.  

•    God doesn't want you to lead just so you can complain about the way things are but that you would do something about it!  

•                If He called you to it He will lead you through it.

Philippians 1:6 (NLT)

"And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns."

•    If you allow God to begin a work in you He will complete it.

•    God called leaders to lead, so lead because leadership requires action!

•                Lead-to go before or show the way.

•    Who are you going before who are you showing the way?

•                I'll show you the way to worship, I'll show you the way to give, I'll show you the way to serve, to forgive, to honor, to respect, I will show you cause I'm living that!

•    Is the path you are choosing safe, reliable, will it destroy or bring confusion?

•    If so that's not a Godly path.

•    Lead like your going somewhere, lead cause you know the way, lead cause you want to offer the right path.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (NLT)

"For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. [17] Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. [18] So encourage each other with these words."

•    Live in anticipation!

•                317 times in the New Testament heaven or the 2nd Coming (rapture) is mentioned.

•    Heaven is real declare it, live it out, talk about it!

•                Live like your going to it!

4. Be kind, gladly.

•    Attitude is a decision that doesn't have to reflect my circumstances. Attitude will determine success or failure.

•    Being kind is attribute that culture, society, and all of humanity desperately needs to learn.

•                Customer service is an art nearly buried and lost eternally.

•    I've never seen a generation be so angry, disappointed, and frustrated so early in life.

•                This generation is getting older younger, getting faster quicker, they're getting sadder sooner, they're staying younger longer.

•    Being kind is the way of Christ, it's the way of God, it's the way of His Spirit.

•                Jesus died for you but will never force you to believe it, never pressure you to receive eternal life, and will never stop loving you.

•                God chose to break sins hold on us, He chose to allow us free will, He chose to give us a bright hope and a future but will never enforce that path upon us, He only offers it.

•    The Spirit of God is a gentleman, He will never demand you to change. He will offer help, offer strength, offer power to overcome but all has to be chosen by you.

Proverbs 11:17 (NLT)

"Your kindness will reward you, but your cruelty will destroy you."

•                This is pretty straight forward.

•    Reward you, or destroy you.

Ephesians 4:30-32 (NLT)

And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. [31] Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. [32] Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

•    The way we live is our guarantee of our belief and confidence in God or lack thereof.

•                The Spirit of God is a person of the Godhead, He can be distressed, He can be ignored, He can be disregarded, He can be disrespected, He can be quenched.

•    The guarantee of my salvation is the Spirit of God in me.

•    The Spirit of God can also be encouraged, He can be helpful, guiding, be embraced, be held in high esteem, be respected, and be fanned into a roaring, blazing, consuming fire in your life.