Q- How many have moved in the last year? One of the hardest things to do! Where would you want to live?
Tips for Westerners moving south:
2. If you forget a Southerner's name, refer to him (or her) as "Bubba". You have a 75% chance of being right.
7. If it can't be fried in bacon grease, it ain't worth cooking, let alone eating.
8. Remember: "Y'all" is singular. "All y'all" is plural. "All y'all's" is plural possessive.
9. There is nothing sillier than a Northerner imitating a southern accent, unless it is a southerner imitating a Boston accent.
10. Get used to hearing, "You ain't from around here, are you?"
12. Don't be worried that you don't understand anyone. They don't understand you either.
13. The first Southern expression to creep into a transplanted Northerner's vocabulary is the adjective "Big ol'", as in "big ol' truck" or "big ol' boy". Eighty-five percent begin their new southern influenced dialect with this expression. One hundred percent are in denial about it.
Part of Moving is selling your house!
The process of selling your home? Most have, we have bought and sold several over the years. It is quite a process, and quite emotional - to sell a house. We stage it by cleaning up everything, re-arranging furniture, and preparing for home inspections,
You check to make sure every thing is up to code and you follow the buyer's instructions for work to be done. then you go through the process of escrow.
Then comes the final inspection - and you make sure everything has been cleaned out! And now it is ready for the new owner to occupy.
And now this is not your house, no matter how long you've owned it, doesn't matter, for who-ever has purchased it receives all the rights to it.
Tonight - God wants us to truly understand the greatest home we will ever prepare for sale, in fact the greatest move you will ever make.
Pray -
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
The greatest home you will ever prepare to be occupied is the house inside of you.
It is called by God "Body" it is a singular term which means it is a specific address God has chosen to purchase.
He came down from heaven and went house shopping. O not like we do it for our homes are assessed from the outside- in, but Gods are assessed and selected from the inside - out.
And God says you did not choose me; I chose you to dwell. And the first thing He does is change the name-
From Sam's house to God's Temple. From Your House to My Temple says the Lord
And God almighty, the maker of Heaven and Earth purchased it for one reason and one reason alone - to Dwell in It.
And now, the temple has one purpose only - no other purpose for existing, God knows it, Satan knows it, now you must know it - The temple is to house Gods presence.
And God has given you ONE task and ONE Function alone your function, God knows it, Satan knows it now you must know it - Your Function is receptivity, your function is not activity, it is to prepare it for the reception of Gods presence. And your reward for doing this - you get to dwell with Him. We are called to - Honor God with our Body
Paul is dealing with the most strategic issues facing Christians today, it is where the Devil will focus most of his work - it is to defile Gods Temple inside of his people. It is to rob us of experiencing Gods Presence
In Chapter 6 Paul is dealing with several issues that lead to defiling Gods temple
- Legal Disputes, Sexual immorality of all kinds, Idolatry, Adultery, thieves, drunkards, slanderers, swindlers.
Paul says in Vs. 9 - Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived...
Another words God says - all this stuff is wicked and of the Devil, it has no place in Gods kingdom and that means it can be no place that I dwell.
BUT The Wicked is not you, Spirit is now waiting for You to Honor God With your Body
A Spirit Filled Life depends on understanding the place
Where the Spirit Dwells and how important it is to ensure that you prepare daily to Honor God with Your Body
To Honor God with Your Body
#1.Prepare you attitude - Suffer Wrong
The shooting in LANCASTER, Pa. - The wife of a gunman who killed five girls and injured five others at an Amish school released a statement thanking the Amish and others in the Lancaster County community for their "forgiveness, grace and mercy."
Q- Who do you want to Please?
Vs.7 The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?
The issue was a lawsuit and the principle Paul says - look it is better to suffer wrong than run the risk of doing wrong.
And Suffering wrong for Christ sake pleases God! It produces righteousness; it prepares us for him to come to us.
The issue it self had to do with two believers in a dispute\ conflict and they brought it to a unbeliever - judges. They are called un-godly or unjustified before God.
Paul here is simply contrasting the Church from the World, and also giving us a critical lesson. He says - Vs. 5 - "You should be ashamed of yourself"
Christians that settle differences outside the Church - are before unbelievers and:
1. Hurt the reputation of Christ
2. They fail God by failing to govern their affairs by the life of Christ and the Law of God.
3. They fail to acknowledge the Holy Spirits direction is good enough directed by Christ centered Leaders to settle a difference.
Any or all of these reasons hurt a believers that goes outside the Church to settle differences with other Believers. "It is being already defeated"
Don't be defeated before you begin!
Paul says if you can't get it resolved in the Church - Suffer Wrong for Christ - This is the base line- Humility - Meek
Your function is Receptivity and - This is How you Prepare your Attitude You where bought with a price...
To Honor God with Your Body
#2.Prepare Your Character - seek eternal life
As I look back on my life I can tell you who and where I was influenced the most in developing my Character. It would certainly be my parents and uncle, and the location would be central Torrance. - That influence it runs deep
Q- Who and Where is your Character being developed?
Paul says you Believers have inherited a new kingdom, have been given the privilege of being citizens in a new heaven and earth where Jesus Christ will reign
1 Corinthians 6:11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Paul says What Governs You - Develops You!
Be governed by Eternal life, not Mortal life, Eternal life is your present possession - it starts today!
How do you know: Do a Character inventory:
Idolaters - is more then just worshiping idols and images.
#1.It is working up concepts and ideas of God that are not grounded in scripture.
#2.It is putting something else before God - another words it is putting your mind, body, thoughts, time, energy, efforts, loyalty to something other then God.
This includes - thieves, slanderers, swindlers, greedy - they are all controlled/ governed by their Mortal life,
But God says You Be Governed by Eternal Life -
Your function is Receptivity and this is how you Prepare your Character - You where bought with a price
To Honor God with Your Body
#3.Prepare Your Desires - seek freedom
There is a Airlines commercial - person does something really stupid and then a voice says "Want to Get Away" and the commercial ends with- " You are Free to Move around the Country"
Q - Do You know What You have Been Given?
God says - You are Free from the Slavery of the World, The world is a place of Slavery it is called SIN. God knows it, Satan knows it now you MUST Know and understand it!
Paul say these most powerful words - 1 Corinthians 6:12 "Everything is permissible for me"-but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"-but I will not be mastered by anything.
God says Christians have the ultimate personal liberty and freedom. Everything is permissible for me - And until Christ returns you must ensure you walk in Freedom, This is walking in the Spirit not the Flesh.
Paul tells us here and in the other verses here there are two key areas that you must watch closely
#1.Not everything is beneficial - word means helpful, worthwhile, advisable, and profitable.
Example - it is helpful to eat berries, it is unprofitable to eat to eat poison berries: It is advisable to exercise, keep active, it is harmful to lie around and be completely inactive.
#2.I will not be Mastered by Anything - The word Mastered means - to have full and entire authority over the body, to hold the body subject to one's will, to be brought under the power of anyone
The word Anything - means - a certain one, someone else! other then Christ
Example -
* It is permissible to engage your body into a sexual encounter with your spouse, it is not with anyone or thing else. If you do you give the authority of your body over to that person. And you become controlled by you physical sex drive - your put on the schakels, you enter into salvary!
* It is permissible to engage your body to eat any food and drink you like, it is not to glutton yourself with food and drink. If you do, you give the authority of your body over to your stomach. And you become control by your physical appetite. you put on the schakels, you enter into slavery!
This is your weakest part of your Body! - It is where Satan will attach you most! God though Paul gives us a very graphic description of what happens in the Spiritual Realm!
The Body is destined to be resurrected that is its new destiny. And God says in my Temple -
And the Body does not belong to Sex, sex belongs to the Body
And the Body does not belong to the stomach, the stomach belongs to the Body.
That is why you must let your desires be controlled by your Body, Freedom is at stake!
Be in control - Live in Freedom, this is how you Prepare Your Desires. For you where bought with a price
Honor God with Your Body
Prepare you attitude
Prepare Your Character
Prepare Your Desires.
Pray-
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body
