美国凤城山坡堂欢迎你

Hillside United Methodist Church

06/12/2022 Church service

周日礼拜

Applied Faith

视频

 扫码加美国牧师麦克的微信 Pastor Mike's WeChat：

欢迎扫码或者点击原文详情进入教堂网址了解详情

加入中美Bible Study与我们一起学习圣经（中英文）

视频脚本 Script

Applied Faith
Luke 5:1-11

I was never a lifeguard, but I had enough training in the Scouts to know you can’t rescue a drowning person who is fighting and flailing around

Essentially, the drowning person has to yield – to surrender to the greater power – the one who has the ability to save them.

…but in their panic, they may feel like they’re helping – doing their part?

Beliefs are tough because we don’t see them – we just see the world through them.

Friday morning prayer time:
The REST comes when we step out of the whirlwind - the whirlwind of our own “doing”

It takes faith, trust and humility to let go and put your future in God’s hands

Prov 22:4: True humility and fear of the LORD lead to riches, honor, and long life.

HE is the VINE

Recognizing this TRUTH is the pathway to entering God’s Rest

Hebrews 4:10,11: For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall.

Resting in the Lord – in His love and care – is a daily practice – and not isolated to one day of rest per week.

Romans 14:5: One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind.

In the New Testament this rest is not based on legalism, but on God’s Grace.

Gal 4:10,11: You are trying to earn favor with God by observing certain days or months or seasons or years.  I fear for you. Perhaps all my hard work with you was for nothing

The Lord’s Prayer is a prayer of total Rest

“Lord Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me…”

“I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore…”

Jesus can rescue you from drowning – and He can put you back on your feet again.

In your habits – in your relationships – in your health – in your work

…in your walk with God.

This is what is known as “Applied Faith.”

“Who is it that can do everything? Who can do ALL things?”

We can do ALL things through CHRIST”

We reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ  (ref: Rom 5:17)

2 Cor 12:9 - “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

So – let’s talk about Real Rest

Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Put on my yoke, and learn from me. I'm gentle and humble. And you will find rest for yourselves. My yoke is easy to bear, and my burden is light."

What is Jesus saying here?

“You’ve tried doing it your way - and now you find your life is not a joy – but a heavy burden to be carried. You’re struggling – and looking for better answers. If you’ll do things my way you will find, life is much easier – you will find the peace you have been searching for.”

We sometimes misinterpret that word “rest.”
Sure – it means rest – but it comes through trusting God and walking in His ways.

Rest is not passive – it is active – and requires a faith with EXPECTATION.    

When we rest – we trust – and we take the proper steps to move forward.

It may seem like a paradox at times – but to truly rest requires action on our part – but, more importantly, the proper kind of action.

Rest is not passive – it is active – and requires a faith with EXPECTATION.

When we rest – we trust – and we take the proper steps to move forward.

In Luke 5 Jesus told the fishermen – who were struggling unsuccessfully to catch fish, to once again let down their nets.

vs 5: Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”   (key)

This is Applied Faith  (Hearing – Believing – Obeying)

Applied Faith doesn’t always require the kind of action that other people would see you doing

Psalm 37:7 - “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him...”

“Be still… and wait patiently.”

That doesn’t sound like much action is required to do that.

But it takes real faith on our part to “Be still… and wait patiently.”

…and faith is a verb.

God has the correct answers for our struggles and predicaments.
It requires listening – and responding correctly.

We can often find ourselves in situations with no simple answers.

Do we go around trying a million different things to fix the problem – or do we take time to hear the right answers?

Are we like the drowning person, thrashing and flailing around?

Much of the time, we already know what to do – we just try to find another way to solve our problems.

(sounds kinda childish, doesn’t it? Isn’t that how we handled things when we were teenagers?)

Rest is not passive – it is active – and requires a faith with EXPECTATION.

When we rest – we trust – and we take the proper steps to move forward.

One of the biggest challenges our society faces in 2022 is economic uncertainty.

How can we apply Rest in this situation?

Prov 11:24 – “One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.”

(NLV) “Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything.”

Giving and receiving – plating our seed in faith - is a very New Testament concept.

Jesus taught us: "Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure-- pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return."

From the beginning of God’s Word we read in Genesis: "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest…”

The farmer actively rests because he knows if he plants corn he will reap a harvest of corn – a corn crop.

The principle of Sowing and Reaping is God’s Kingdom principle.

What kind of seed are we planting?

You can’t rest if you haven’t put your trust in God’s way of doing things.
Rest begins with trust – and trust requires faith.

James 2:18: “I will show you my faith by my works.”

Applied faith means we respond to a situation with the proper steps of faith

We apply for the job. We take the class. We buy the healthier foods.

We plant our seed and then expect the harvest.

Entering into God’s Rest is not passive – it is active – and requires a faith with EXPECTATION.

When we rest – we trust – and we take the proper steps to move forward.

Real Rest requires active faith steps and trust.

“Do the thing, and you will have the power.”

Are you looking to God – are you looking in His Word for the help you need?

In Luke 5 Jesus told the fishermen – who were struggling unsuccessfully to catch fish, to once again let down their nets.

vs 5: Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”  

What would have happened if the fishermen had believed Jesus, but then still chose to not let down their nets one more time?

? What are the action steps that you know God is directing you to take to change your situation?

It’s time to rest. It’s time to trust.

It’s time to commit the next steps of our life to God’s better way of living.

02/27/2022  03/06/2022 03/13/2022  03/20/2022  03/27/2022  04/03/2022 

 04/10/2022 04/17/2022 04/24/2022 05/01/2022  05/08/2022  05/15/2022

05/22/2022 05/29/2022 06/05/2022

Hillside United Methodist Church
3739 US 80
Phenix City  AL  36870
United States
Pastor: Mike J Koger

How to get here 教堂位置
点击这里进入谷歌地图：谷歌GPS导航
You can use the church's neighboring shop address for your Google GPS navigation 你如果直接在谷歌地图上直接输入教堂地址找不到我们，建议你输入教堂旁的餐厅地址: T-Bones Steakhouse, 3747 US-80 W, Phenix City, AL 36870
You're giving to our  ministry， you can send those gifts to:
(奉献发送地址:)
PO Box 8513
Columbus, Georgia 31908