Third and final part of the Sermon Series: Take Off Your Mask It's Time To Be Real
Norita Williams
"Living a Life With Purpose!!! God's Way!!
Last time we talked about "Dying to Self" in this sermon series and this week we will be talking about "Living a Life with Purpose".
Our text will be coming from Act 9:1-22.
Acts 9
New King James Version (NKJV)
The Damascus Road: Saul Converted
9 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”
Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.[a] It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”
Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. 8 Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
Ananias Baptizes Saul
10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision,“Ananias.”
And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”
11 So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. 12 And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.”
13 Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”
15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus,[b] who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately there fell from his eyessomething like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.
19 So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.
Saul Preaches Christ
20 Immediately he preached the Christ[c] in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.
21 Then all who heard were amazed, and said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?”
22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.
So Saul was thinking up to this point of his life that he was in the will of God. He thought the "Christians" were the one who started trouble and was not of God. So he was just trying to rid the world of them. One by one he would kill them because he was in the worldly way of thinking. But as he was on the road to Damascus things changed drastically for him and his life. He met Jesus as it says in verses 3-5 of Acts.
3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”
Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.[a] It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
Could you imagine that one? He has a total change in direction in his life. He found the truth and it set him free from doing the things of this world!!!
This is just an example of what we are today! We go through this life doing our own things and thinking we are doing the will of God and in reality we are in the opposite direction!!! This is the Lord's wake up call for each one of us!!!
This is your road to Damascus!!! The Lord wants for you right now to stop what you are doing and talk with Him. You are in the wrong direction and He wants for you to come back to Him and NOT listen to anyone else!!!
You have a purpose and you have destiny in your life!!! You are chosen and you are sanctified by the blood!!! You are anointed and appointed for a time such as this!!! You are set apart from the world--you dont do the same things you have been doing but you do what the Lord is telling you to do right now!!! I know this is falling on some people and it is hitting them hard it is in my spirit I feel this!!! The Lord wants for you to let Him have control of your boat and let Him do the steering and not you!!!
Last time we talked about getting ourselves Humble before the Lord and dying to self. This time we are taking it a little further and actually going to apply it to our lives.
So how exactly do we start "Living A Life with Purpose?"
There are 5 points I want to show you in this:
1. Start out by letting the Lord have control of your ship.
2. Let the Lord lead you into the things that He has for you.
3. Have the mindset that you are letting go and let God have it.
4. Don't look back!!Do not go back to the way things once were.. That got you no where and it got you into trouble!!
5. Be teachable and let the Lord show you the things that He wants from you!!! He can not teach someone who won't listen to Him!!!
When you let go and let God have His way in your life you will see change and you will see the Lord move greatly!!! You were bought with a price and you are redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb!!! You have purpose and the Lord wants to bring that out in you. So you can have the confidence in not only knowing but you are truly doing the will of God!!! You are living the purpose driven life the way it is suppose to be lived and that is in the LORD!!!
So in conclusion, the Lord will mold you and show you where you need to go in Him at all times!!! When you are doing the things of this world it will never work and you will never feel the peace and joy that you are suppose to!!!
God bless you!!!
This concludes the sermon Series:
Take Off Your Mask: It's Time To Be Real!!!
Last time we talked about "Dying to Self" in this sermon series and this week we will be talking about "Living a Life with Purpose".
Our text will be coming from Act 9:1-22.
Acts 9
New King James Version (NKJV)
The Damascus Road: Saul Converted
9 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”
Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.[a] It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”
Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. 8 Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
Ananias Baptizes Saul
10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision,“Ananias.”
And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”
11 So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. 12 And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.”
13 Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”
15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus,[b] who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately there fell from his eyessomething like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.
19 So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.
Saul Preaches Christ
20 Immediately he preached the Christ[c] in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.
21 Then all who heard were amazed, and said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?”
22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.
So Saul was thinking up to this point of his life that he was in the will of God. He thought the "Christians" were the one who started trouble and was not of God. So he was just trying to rid the world of them. One by one he would kill them because he was in the worldly way of thinking. But as he was on the road to Damascus things changed drastically for him and his life. He met Jesus as it says in verses 3-5 of Acts.
3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”
Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.[a] It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
Could you imagine that one? He has a total change in direction in his life. He found the truth and it set him free from doing the things of this world!!!
This is just an example of what we are today! We go through this life doing our own things and thinking we are doing the will of God and in reality we are in the opposite direction!!! This is the Lord's wake up call for each one of us!!!
This is your road to Damascus!!! The Lord wants for you right now to stop what you are doing and talk with Him. You are in the wrong direction and He wants for you to come back to Him and NOT listen to anyone else!!!
You have a purpose and you have destiny in your life!!! You are chosen and you are sanctified by the blood!!! You are anointed and appointed for a time such as this!!! You are set apart from the world--you dont do the same things you have been doing but you do what the Lord is telling you to do right now!!! I know this is falling on some people and it is hitting them hard it is in my spirit I feel this!!! The Lord wants for you to let Him have control of your boat and let Him do the steering and not you!!!
Last time we talked about getting ourselves Humble before the Lord and dying to self. This time we are taking it a little further and actually going to apply it to our lives.
So how exactly do we start "Living A Life with Purpose?"
There are 5 points I want to show you in this:
1. Start out by letting the Lord have control of your ship.
2. Let the Lord lead you into the things that He has for you.
3. Have the mindset that you are letting go and let God have it.
4. Don't look back!!Do not go back to the way things once were.. That got you no where and it got you into trouble!!
5. Be teachable and let the Lord show you the things that He wants from you!!! He can not teach someone who won't listen to Him!!!
When you let go and let God have His way in your life you will see change and you will see the Lord move greatly!!! You were bought with a price and you are redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb!!! You have purpose and the Lord wants to bring that out in you. So you can have the confidence in not only knowing but you are truly doing the will of God!!! You are living the purpose driven life the way it is suppose to be lived and that is in the LORD!!!
So in conclusion, the Lord will mold you and show you where you need to go in Him at all times!!! When you are doing the things of this world it will never work and you will never feel the peace and joy that you are suppose to!!!
God bless you!!!
This concludes the sermon Series:
Take Off Your Mask: It's Time To Be Real!!!
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