Color your world

I want you to try to remember everything you have been taught here at www.youthrock.us, and www.solidrockjc.com over the last many years.

Everything you have seen or been involved in will hopefully come flooding into your mind.

1.     I hope you can remember times of God’s healing, times of God’s direction and times of the Spirit of God filling you in unforgettable ways.

2.     It’s those memories that will help to guide you, strengthen you and continue to inspire you.

1.     My wife and I have had the privilege and the opportunity to serve you here and to sow seed into your lives so for that we are eternally grateful. Then our only prayer is that you will take what you have seen and heard and continue to put into practice in your lives. 

We are like clay formed by the hand of God Himself and we are all clothed in different colors.

3.     Our diversity should be celebrated because were all not the same.

4.     God created us different.

1.     He created us to be different.

2.     He created us with different features, different abilities, different talents, different blood types, and He even created us different colors.

3.     We are colored people.

Realize this; God birthed in us a desire to change the world. He desires us to be like Him. He doesn’t make us be like Him He desires us to be like Him. He modeled world change as He sent Jesus to this earth.

John 3:16,17 "For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him.”

Job 38:1”Then the LORD answered Job from the whirlwind: 2 "Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words? 3 Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them. 4 "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much. 5 Who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveying line? 6 What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone 7 as the morning stars sang together and all the angels* shouted for joy? 8 "Who kept the sea inside its boundaries as it burst from the womb, 9 and as I clothed it with clouds and wrapped it in thick darkness? 10 For I locked it behind barred gates, limiting its shores.11 I said, 'This far and no farther will you come. Here your proud waves must stop!' 12 "Have you ever commanded the morning to appear and caused the dawn to rise in the east? 13 Have you made daylight spread to the ends of the earth, to bring an end to the night's wickedness? 14 As the light approaches, the earth takes shape like clay pressed beneath a seal; it is robed in brilliant colors.*15 The light disturbs the wicked

and stops the arm that is raised in violence.” As God’s presence shines on us He forms us and molds us to be brilliant colors shining daily. The light disturbs the wicked."

1.     After graduation you dream big and you dream about the amazing opportunities in front of you and your new found freedom of life so I say, “Wherever you choose to go or wherever God chooses to send you color you world.”

1.     Color your world!

•     Bring diversity. Bring change. Bring God.

•     Bring deliverance. Bring hope. Bring God.

1.     Color your world!

1.     Make your mark. Make your efforts. Make a difference.

2.     Make them see Jesus. Make them want Him. Make them desire heaven.

2.     Color your world!

1.     No one will step where you step, color your world.

2.     No one was created exactly the same so complete your mission for God.

1.     You can say just like Joseph if you don’t like my coat of many colors then you’ll have to get mad at my Father God because He made it.

1.     He gave it to me. He decorated me with it.

2.     He chose me to wear it.

3.     He colored me to color my world.

4.     He causes me to color my world.

1.     Diversity- the quality of being diverse; different

2.     Joseph was cut from a different mold. Joseph saved a nation, a community, his family, and himself.

3.     Joseph colored his world.

Romans 12:1 "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. 3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ's body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. 6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 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. 9 Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 13 When God's people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you. Don't curse them; pray that God will bless them. 15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with each other. Don't be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don't think you know it all! 17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. 19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, "I will take revenge; I will pay them back," says the LORD. 20 Instead, "If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads." 21 Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.”

1.     I want to color my world with hope.

1.     I want to color my world with life.

2.     I want to color my world with health.

3.     I want to color those around me.

4.     I want to color my world with success, blessings.

5.     I want to color my world with morality and justice.

•     How will you color your world?

•     How will you see to it that you color your world? 

•       Can I remind you tonight that a heart willing to love and serve is enough to change lives?

•       Color outside the lines. Pick any color you want.

•       Use as many colors as you want at the same time if you want.

•       Go after things you have in your heart.

•       Never be afraid to step out and attempt something you’ve never done.

•       Do the impossible. Do the miraculous. Just do something.

Finally remember that you are poised for success and should not accept any defeat as final.  

    

1 Corinthians 15:57 “But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.”

Overdose

 

Overdose, you may be surprised is a church term. We might not use the exact word to define clearly what we are really saying but it is a church expression none the less.

•             I wouldn't do this it's wrong, it's dangerous, it's destructive.

•    We say things like don't do that it's bad for you, rules, rules, rules. 

•    Follow the rules.

•             Although it's good to follow the rules, sometimes you have to take a route of your own when it comes to your relationship in God.

•    Chart a course no one else is taking.

Overdose-excessive, lethal or toxic amount

•             A lot of people don't even follow the rules when it comes to growing in God, which defines them as rebels.

•    Well we need some rebels who will go out of their way to rebel right.

Romans 15:13 "I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit."

1. The source of hope.

•             We've all seen overdose through movies, television, internet or life experiences, where people we’re hurt through alcohol, pills, needles, blood, and suffering.

•    There wasn't just a physical destruction, but a deep emotional pain, the look of deception and sorrow was all over their faces.

•    The look of regret, remorse, rejection.

•             As humans we get this feeling as if you want to help, but their pain was self inflicted and you were far removed from their situation.

•             Their sin of choice, their overdose of decision.

Job 20:12-14 NLT "[12] "They enjoyed the sweet taste of wickedness, letting it melt under their tongue. [13] They savored it, holding it long in their mouths. [14] But suddenly the food in their bellies turns sour, a poisonous venom in their stomach."

•             The bible is teaching us that sin has this sweet, savoring taste, but will immediately turn poison in our system.

•    Why because sin=death.

•    Sin+unbelief in Christ=eternal death.

•             Hiding it, keeping it under the tongue, denotes concealment of our treasured lust, and pleasure therein.

•             God knows what is in the heart, knows what is under the tongue, and will discover it.

•    Sin is turned into gall, poison, a bitter drug in which nothing is more destructive.

•             Jesus is hope.

•    The source of all hope.

•             A feeling of expectation and desire that a certain thing is going to happen, hope.

•    We hope in a great life, hope in a great future, hope in great relationships, careers, financial statuses, health, and happiness.

•             Well believe this or not God is the maker, creator, designer of all hope!

1 Corinthians 15:34 NLT "Think carefully about what is right, and stop sinning. For to your shame I say that some of you don't know God at all."

•             Knowing God personally births a hatred toward sin.

•    You don't want to sin you don't want to hurt God, hurt His plan, or destroy His mission through sin.

•             Sin is missing the mark.

•             Whether by a mile or 1 million miles we all have missed the mark.

•    Seeing that, connecting to that is humility.

Romans 12:1-2 "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice-the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. [2] Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."

•             Instead of wasting our time destroying our lives with alcohol, drugs, gossip, lies, and addictions that will cause us nothing but harm, why don't we overdose in Christ!

•    If you have never been full of the Holy Spirit then you are missing out on something beyond amazing.

•             Christ is the ultimate high, His love, His passion for us, offering His rescuing power to the world, and we should all get our daily fixes on Him.

•    He’s addictive, once you get a taste of what its like to be in and on His presence, you’ll always want more.

•             What God does for me, what He has done for others in the bible, He can do for you.

•    Be His vessel, allow hope to work through you.

•             Don’t turn to addictions for relief, or hopelessness turn to God.

•    Stop thinking, living, and operating in that your problems are too big for God and recognize God is so much bigger than your problems.

2. Fill you completely.

Psalm 62:6 "He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken."

•             Why would anyone want to set their confidence on something that is not solid?

Matthew 24:35 "Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear."

•             So if everything that we have and rely on will pass away, why don’t we set our trust on the only thing that wont? Jesus is the only way.

Illustrate here: jar rocks, gravel, sand, water.

•    Would you agree that the jar is full?

•             Continue until full.

•             I promise you there is a deeper depth, a higher height, and wider plane than you have ever experienced with God, engage Him.

•    We need to overdose our moments with Him.

Overdose-excessive, lethal or toxic amount

•    Overdose our prayer lives, overdose our bible reading, overdose our fasting regiment, overdose our worship of Christ.

•             What do you need to do to get filled, what do I need to do are the questions we need to be asking.

3. Overflow with the Spirit.

•             We as Christians need to be exhausting our every efforts to move closer to God making Him that daily fix that you’ll go through all extents to get.

•             Beg, steal, and borrow to get to Him, to get more of Him.

•    Overdose on Jesus because He’s the only drug that can give you an eternal high.

•             Take a look at those trying to obtain a toxic amount of Jesus in the bible.

•    David killed a lion, a bear, a giant.

•    God shut the mouths of lions for Daniel and silenced his enemies through death.

•    God used Phillip, Jonah, Joseph, Abraham, Moses, the disciples, to save nations through preaching the word.

•             After being filled with the Spirit of God the disciples then and since have been used to opened blinded eyes, deaf ears, heal lame legs, and diseases of every kind.

•             They share the Gospel of Jesus Christ boldly, and with authority because they believe it, see and feel the effects of it's life altering power.

•             Samson destroyed his enemies.

•             Joshua conquered 31 kings.

•             Mary, a virgin, gave birth to the Son of God.

•             Esther rescues her people.

•             Tabitha brought back to life because she lived her life doing kind things for others.

•             Peter walked on water, preached and 5000 men not counting women and children were saved at one time.

•    I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, by choice.

•             You are the same, if you so choose.

Mark 15:22-32 NLT "[22] And they brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha (which means "Place of the Skull"). [23] They offered him wine drugged with myrrh, but he refused it. [24] Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross. They divided his clothes and threw dice to decide who would get each piece. [25] It was nine o'clock in the morning when they crucified him. [26] A sign was fastened to the cross, announcing the charge against him. It read, "The King of the Jews." [27-28] Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. [29] The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. "Ha! Look at you now!" they yelled at him. "You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. [30] Well then, save yourself and come down from the cross!" [31] The leading priests and teachers of religious law also mocked Jesus. "He saved others," they scoffed, "but he can't save himself! [32] Let this Messiah, this King of Israel, come down from the cross so we can see it and believe him!" Even the men who were crucified with Jesus ridiculed him."

•             Jesus was overdosed with ridicule, judgement, hatred, disbelief, mockery, punishment, torture, in His mind and in His body.

•    The place of the skull (Golgotha) because most of our battles are in the mind.

•    I believe God was saying I have overcome the mind.

•             No matter what you have been through, what you're going through or what you will ever endure, Jesus has already overcome. 

•    Search for Him, engage Him, ask Him, choose to allow Him to be your overdose.