Pulse Message 5-13-12 Bring a Friend

This week, we are talking about how you can make an eternal difference in the lives of your friends. Here’s the truth, if your friend does not know Christ in this life, then they will miss out on purpose and fulfillment now, and heaven for eternity. How much do you have to hate someone that you wouldn’t do something about it? Are you doing something about it?

John 1:40-45
 ^40-42Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard John's witness and followed Jesus. The first thing he did after finding where Jesus lived was find his own brother, Simon, telling him, "We've found the Messiah" (that is, "Christ"). He immediately led him to Jesus.
   Jesus took one look up and said, "You're John's son, Simon? From now on your name is Cephas" (or Peter, which means "Rock").
 ^43-44The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. When he got there, he ran across Philip and said, "Come, follow me." (Philip's hometown was Bethsaida, the same as Andrew and Peter.)
 ^45-46Philip went and found Nathanael and told him, "We've found the One Moses wrote of in the Law, the One preached by the prophets. It's Jesus, Joseph's son, the one from Nazareth!" Nathanael said, "Nazareth? You've got to be kidding."
But Philip said, "Come, see for yourself."

Are you leading people closer to Christ? Billy Graham came up with a powerful way to looking at the world around you to be intentional to make a difference in people’s lives for the sake of Jesus Christ:

·         Look Around where you live, work, or go to school—this is your mission field. Make a list of names of individuals you know who need Jesus Christ, and commit to pray for the people on your list regularly.

·         Look Up because God changes people through prayer. Pray each day for those on your list, that God will give you opportunities to share His love with them.

·         Look Out for ways to cultivate friendships with each person on your list. Spend time with them. An invitation to dinner or a sporting event will build friendships, which can open the way to talk about Christ. Remember: don’t preach. Listen and be a good friend.

·         Look Forward and begin to talk with each person on your list about reading a book, going to church, or attending an event such Pulse, Creation Museum, or Summer Camp. Choose a specific date, pray, and invite them.

·         Look After those who respond to Christ or even begin to show interest in the Gospel, for they need your encouragement. Continue to love and pray for those who do not respond.

Have gone to summer camp with us in the past. Do you feel like summer camp was an incredible experience where you grew significantly closer to Christ. Do you hope your friends experience Christ at camp like you did. But how many people have you actually invited to go to summer camp this year?

Summer Camp exercise

Pulse message 5-6-12 - Love for Self

Identity

Who are you? How would describe or define yourself?

In a word full of information, people seem to be becoming less and less aware of who they are. We know everything about every celebrity, but I don’t know who I am.

You know what I finally realized…I just want to be me. I don’t have to try and fit in. Who I am is not found in the clothes I wear or the sports I play or the grades I achieve. In fact as a Christian, my identity is found in one place, and that is Christ. I hope you guys understand that as a fully devoted follower of Christ, like you have standing before you right now and like I hope each of you are becoming more and more each week, that I’m not a man who goes to church. I’m a Christian who also has the joy of being a husband, a friend, a father, a youth minister. Like a giant tree, all these characteristics of who I am are branches that are defined by the prevailing trunk of my identity that is found in my relationship with Christ.

This is why we see Peter, a fisherman, husband, business man, and son, drop everything in his life, all that he knows, and follow Christ. Because Peter is not identified in his job or his personality or his relationship with others…he is defined Christ, and by following him.

Matthew 16:24-27

“If any man will come after me…”

                We must make a choice to follow Christ! Some choices are good, some bad; some easy, some hard; some inconsequential, some eternal in implication!

“Let him deny himself…”

1.    Not just a denial OF self, but denial TO self – from self to Christ!

2.    We are solider of Christ – and a good solider doesn’t think of saving self, but of winning the battle! And the battle being waged is one for the souls of man, both yours and your friends.

“take up his cross and follow me”

                        In Roman culture, to take up your cross was a declaration to the general public that, “here I am in complete submission to the Roman authorities.” That my will, my desires no longer matter because Rome has complete authority over my life. Of course, a criminal taking up his cross does so by force. Christ is commanding us to do so voluntarily, to declare “here I am in complete submission to God.” That my will, my desires no longer matter because Christ has complete authority over my life.

“Follow me” means we walk as He walked; talk as He talked; live as He lived; do as He did; serve as He served; love as He loved!

And in finding your identity in Christ, you will discover the true nature of the strength and beauty that He created in you.

In Christ, we have the identity of Deity. But who am I? As a Christian, who am I? I am his ambassador, a reflection of His Grace, a road sign directing others to the Way, a part of His body, part of the fellowship of the redeemed, a Child of God. Who am I? I am His, and that fact defines every other part of my life. Do you know who you are?

Spend a moment talking with God about where you are in your choice to Follow Him in Radical Surrender.