05-08-2018
We are created to belong. It will be our greatest loss if we chose not to belong to what God is doing at this season.
God rewards those who run after His heart.
When I hear God's heartbeat, I know I am in the right place.
Know God's heartbeat for this season and hear His heartbeat and we will begin to understand.
RELATED: Know God's Heartbeat, Stand Up and Be Doers
We start with the Word of God.
In Genesis 1, we find that God's heartbeat was already there.
Genesis 1:26 New King James Version (NKJV)
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our
likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of
the air, and over the cattle, over [a]all the earth and over every creeping
thing that creeps on the earth.”
Genesis 2:7 New King James Version (NKJV)
7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
When we first come out of our mother's womb, there was already breath. God breathes life into us.
We need to live our lives as though we do not own ourselves.
The very life that you and I have is given by God.
1) You belong to God.
Luke 15:11-32 New King James Version (NKJV)
The Parable of the Lost Son
11 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of
them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to
me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the
younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted
his possessions with [a]prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there
arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went
and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his
fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the
[b]pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’
20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, [c]‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.
25 “Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’
28 “But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. 30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’
31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’ ”
As a believer, we see the same sin that the prodigal son encountered.
Adam and Eve's sense of belonging was destroyed by sin.
Genesis 3:21 New King James Version (NKJV)
21 Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and
clothed them.
God wanted to provide for them and protect them.
At the garden of Gethsamane, Jesus felt the anguish and pain of having to be nailed on the cross.
God allowed His only begotten son to be nailed on the cross so that we could belong to Him again.
Galatians 4:4-7 New King James Version (NKJV)
4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His
Son, born[a] of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under
the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, [b]“Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir [c]of God [d]through Christ.
We are His sons and daughters. We are able to call Him Abba Father.
Just like the prodigal son, there is a Father waiting to embrace His son and daughter again.
2) You belong to one another
Genesis 2:18 New King James Version (NKJV)
18 And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone;
I will make him a helper comparable to him.”
God has always meant to give us each other.
God has always a people united so that He could pour forth His blessing.
In the New Testament, God built us into a body of Christ. He poured forth the Holy Spirit.
God will bring us together through the power of the Holy Spirit to move us according to His plans and purposes.
Psalm 100:3 New King James Version (NKJV)
3 Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and [a]not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
In Acts, the 120 waited for the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:42-47 New King James Version (NKJV)
42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ [a]doctrine and
fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon
every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now
all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and [b]sold
their possessions and goods, and divided[c] them among all, as anyone had
need.
46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added [d]to the church daily those who were being saved.
Let us unite as a body.
3) You belong to God's purposes
Genesis 1:26 New King James Version (NKJV)
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our
likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of
the air, and over the cattle, over [a]all the earth and over every creeping
thing that creeps on the earth.”
When God created humans, God gave them a purpose: "You rule on my behalf."
Therefore, we belong to God's purposes.
Abram (Abraham) was a man with a lot of insecurities.
God began to work in His life.
Moses was lost in the desert.
God appeared in the burning bush and gave him a purpose.
A young man, David, threw that stone at Goliath.
God saw his passion and gave him a purpose to establish the kingdom of God.
Purpose brought passion, opportunities and breakthroughs.
Purpose sustains passion. Passion sustains focus.
Me-Me
There
is a Me and Me mindset i.e. selfish.
The prodigal son's life belongs to him and him alone.
His life got messed up.
Me-We
There
is a Me and We mindset.
"God, give me first. Whatever is leftover, I give You."
This is a world mindset.
We-Me
This
is the Kingdom mindset.
"God, You have placed me in this season of time. I belong to Your purpose. I align my life behind Your purpose."
Place God over our ambitions.
In Acts 2, it was a We and Me and the Holy Spirit. Every one of them became significant to share the love of God to everyone else.
Ephesians 1:11-12 The Message (MSG)
11-12 It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are
living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had
his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall
purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.
Stand as believers in Christ and be salt and light.
God has an interest in this nation.
As Christians, we play our part to rebuild the seven mountains.
God's heart is for you and I to build this nation.
Get the vision of God planted in our lives so that we can be salt and light.
God is pointing us to a new season.
All promises are only promises if we do not get out of the boat.
God, give me a new mindset.
Antioch church vision requires a We-Me mindset.
4) You belong to God's provisions.
Genesis 1:29-30 New King James Version (NKJV)
29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed
which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed;
to you it shall be for food. 30 Also, to every beast of the earth, to every
bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is
[a]life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so.
Sons + Bride + Body
You
and I are sons and daughters of the Living God.
We (the church) are the Bride of God. Jesus is our Bridegroom.
If every one of us does not function properly, we hurt the Body.
God's promise:
Hebrews
6:10 New King James Version (NKJV)
10 For God is not unjust to forget your work and [a]labor of love
which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the
saints, and do minister.
We belong to God.
We belong to one another.
We belong to God's purposes.
We belong to God's provisions.
The Lord says we are moving into a new season.
All of us are bricks that God can use to build the next chapter.
Each brick builds and supports the next brick.
Each brick is cemented by love and purpose.
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