Week 15: The Year of Commitment

Joshua 24:15

Last Week's Key Thought: "Preparation always precedes God's BLESSINGS." --Josh Sparks.

• When you are expecting something from God, He expects you to give Him thanks. Your relationship with God is the most important relationship you can ever have. He will always provide for you, even when you don't expect it.

Additional Key Thought: Have a sense of urgency that promotes DOING!

Stewardship Characteristics:

• Prayer (Philippians 4:6)
• Humility (Proverbs 22:4 and Matthew 23:12)
• Trust (Proverbs 3:5-6)
• Patience (Romans 5:3)
• Responsibility (Ezekiel 18:20-23)
• Gratitude (Psalm 118:24)
• Generosity (Acts 20:35)
• Simplicity (2 Corinthians 1:23)
• Perseverance (Job 27:5)

Key Scripture: Philippians 2:5-8 (NIV)

 ⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
 ⁶ Who, being in very nature^[a] God,
   did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
   by taking the very nature^[b] of a servant,
   being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
   he humbled himself
   by becoming obedient to death—
      even death on a cross!

Key Thought: No CROSS... No CROWN.

Key Question: Do you BELIEVE your REWARD for being a good STEWARD/DISCIPLE is woth the SACRIFICE required of YOU?

What Will God Say About You? : Matthew 25:21 (NIV)

 ²¹ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

Double Portion Is In Your Hands

Sermon delivered by: Rev. Maurice Rush, Associate Minister of Greater Mount Zion on August, 28, 2011.

Scripture - Judges 7:1-8 (NIV)

Gideon Defeats the Midianites

 ¹ Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. ² The LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’ ³ Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.  ⁴ But the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will thin them out for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”
 ⁵ So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the LORD told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues as a dog laps from those who kneel down to drink.” ⁶ Three hundred of them drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.
 ⁷ The LORD said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go home.” ⁸ So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others.
   Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley.

Everyone is going through something, but God is working through some things to make a transformation that we have never seen. "Somethin' is 'bout to change..." Deliverance is all that matters.

In order for God to perform deliverance in your life: (Water is the theme in which all things are emanate, because whenever water is present, there is going to be a transformational power present in your life.)

• He has to minimize our circle - everyone cannot handle who you are! "Cut the people who tremble with fear..." Even if you are afraid, do not act like you're afraid; God has already taken care of the situation. God has not given us the spirit of fear, but love and happiness.
• God will cut dead weight in your life when He is going to transform situations in your life. Cycle of rain = when the praises go up, the blessings come down. There are no unhealthy strings attached when you ask and receive blessings from God.
• God got rid of those who kneeled because they had the "look" of the church, but no God in their hearts. They drank the water wrong; He used those who lapped because He will raise those who may not "look like church," but who have it in their hearts. Those who kneeled  were self-absorbed, and you need to cut those people in your life out. Don't think that where you currently are is where you will remain.
• Those who are in your circle will consist of people who have a great amount of confidence - Whenever they speak things out of their mouths, it will be in your hands. Speak increase, speak things that are not in your life right and into their lives. Whenever you speak, it will be in your hands. if you go around saying you're sad, you're going to be sad. the words you speak are the first steps in your deliverance. The people that went down and grabbed the water in their hands, God used them and delivered them; change is in your hands.
• The LORD said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go home.” (verse 7) - Let the people that left your life leave. God will provide the people He has blessed you with. There is no need to look back, because the people who are with you now are the people God assigned you to. You will not go to great places by yourself because the people there through the hard times are the people who will truly bless you through the good times.
• So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others. Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley. (verse 8) - Let the people leave, but don't let them leave with your things. Everything you invested in them, let them give it back. Take back everything you gave to them because the level of praise you gave before will be increased when you give praise after everyone has left. (Two trumpets for the soldiers now because the soldiers that left returned everything that was given to them.)

Double portion is now in your hands because you let go and let God, and cut off the people that are no good, because you will receive a blessing that will make you shout God's praise.