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God Is Building
You
Great buildings and construction
projects like the Pyramids,
Great buildings are a testament to
the builder.
Ephesians 2:21-22 In him the whole building is joined
together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built
together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his
Spirit.
1/ God
Wants To Build You As A Person.
Ephesians 2:21-22 In him the whole building is joined
together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together
to become a dwelling in which God lives by his
Spirit.
Illus: Each stone in
1 Corinthians
12:7-27
Now to each one the manifestation of
the Spirit is given…
You are unique, specially selected
and crafted by God. God has
chosen you and invested in you gifts and abilities that make you unique
and valuable to God.
Illus: When in Bible school in
God builds our character and grows
our faith through overcoming challenges. God builds on the journey of
life.
Romans 5:3-5 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings,
because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And
hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our
hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
If buildings are a testament to
the builder, what testament, as a building, are we to
Jesus?
Declare: God has selected you to be shaped
and uniquely crafted into something of great value to him. He wants to build you…will you let
him?
2/ God Wants To Build You Through
Relationships
While it’s true that we are unique
individuals, God has created us to need each other. Some of us go overboard on this
and our need of others becomes a weird dependency…some go the other way
and develop a weird independence.
We need a healthy relationship with God and others.
1 Corinthians
12:7-27
Now to each one the manifestation of
the Spirit is given for the common
good….and he gives them to
each one, just as he determines.
The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts…If they were
all one part, where would the body be?…As it is, there are many parts, but one body …so…
its parts should have equal
concern for each other.
If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is
honored, every part rejoices with it.
Ephesians 2:13-14 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. 14For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility
Ephesians 2:19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and
aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's
household…
The 10 Commandments of Friendship
Speak to
People. There is
nothing as nice as a cheerful word of greeting.
Smile at
People. It takes
72 muscles to frown, but only 14 to smile!
Call People by
Name. The
sweetest music to anyone's ear is the sound of his or her own
name.
Be Friendly and
Helpful. If you
would have friends, be friendly.
Be
Cordial. Speak and
act as if everything you do were a real pleasure.
Be Genuinely
Interested in People. You can
like everyone if you try. Be Generous with Praise, Cautious with Criticism.
Be Considerate of
the Feelings of Others. It will be
appreciated. Be Thoughtful of the Opinions of Others. People love their opinions and deserve respect.
Be Alert to Give Service. What counts most in life is what we do
for others!
Ephesians 2 21- 22 In him the whole building is joined
together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built
together….
Illus: In the
Relationship is a key factor in
sharing faith as this is a heart issue….people don’t open their hearts to
just anybody, there has to be relationship.
Declare: You are unique! But you were built to belong….not
independence, not dependence, but rather interdependence…reliance on
others…need for others.
3/ God Wants To Build You Through
Influence
In·flu·ence (The American Heritage Dictionary
of the English Language) 1. A power affecting a
person, thing, or course of events, especially one that operates without
any direct or apparent effort: relaxed under the influence of the music; the
influence of television on modern life. 2. Power to sway or affect based on
prestige, wealth, ability, or position: used her parent's influence to get the
job.
Jesus was a man of tremendous
influence. People wanted to
hear what he had to say. That
didn’t happen overnight…people listened when Jesus spoke. The same Spirit that raised Jesus
from the dead lives in you…the same Spirit that made Jesus influential
also lives in you.
Ephesians 2 21- 22 In him the whole building is joined
together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built
together to become a dwelling in
which God lives by his Spirit.
Just as people today can visit
Ephesians 2:14 For he himself is our peace, who
has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of
hostility…
Illus:
I once read 7 habits of Highly Effective People
by Stephen R Covey. I think I
remember Covey suggesting that I list all my concerns and then circle around those
that I could actually influence.
Any anxieties outside my circles of influence were not my
concern.
“It’s not my
problem”.
While you are not responsible for
all the peoples of the earth, you have a unique responsibility to those
who are in your circle of contacts.
They are your problem in the sense of having some responsibility
for bringing Christ’s peace to them, being a part of bringing down any
wall of hostility they might have with God.
Quote:
“Influence grows from the expertise
you hold in your field, from the integrity you demonstrate in your life,
and from the positive relationships you develop with those around
you. Influence is fueled by trust. When you talk, people
listen. When you ask questions, they inspire thoughtful rather
than defensive answers. “Jill Geisler
Quick Quiz: Ten
Questions on Influence
1.
How do colleagues assess my work performance? Am I seen as a
top performer? 2. Am I a “go-to” person? Do people turn to me when the task has a high degree of
difficulty?
3.
Do people view me as ethical? Am I known for honesty and
openness?
4.
Do people know what I stand for? If they know, do they
believe I walk my talk? 6. Am I known as a good listener, one who doesn’t jump to conclusions before hearing
people
out?
7.
Am I cool under pressure? Am I
effective and professional when passions are high and
deadlines are tight? 8. Am I known as generous with my time and ideas, even in areas outside my
immediate work
duties?
9. Do
people feel comfortable confiding in me or asking me to coach or mentor
them?
10. Do
people feel better about the work when I’m on the
team?
God wants to build you and me, he
is a master builder, don’t waste your time building anything that God is
not building.
Psalm 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.
Quote:
"It's [Christianity] more than the
opportunity of a lifetime; God offers you an opportunity beyond
your lifetime." - Rick
Warren
Suggested Cell / Personal study
questions
God has built us to need others
but this can sometimes cut across Aussie culture.
1/ God wants us to be people who are
building healthy relationships, are you good at building
relationships?
How could you improve at this?
2/ Who is the person that has
influenced you most in your life?
3/ Would you describe the things that
make them influential to be a character issues (they developed
them over time) or just the way they were born (a
gift)?
4/ Becoming a person of
influence is a journey in character building. Name one character issue that
you are growing in / would like to be growing in at the
moment.
(Close the discussion by praying
for this growth)
10 commandments of
Friendship – author unknown
Jill Geisler, Got Influence,
Quick Quiz on Influence from Poynteronline,
available from
http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=34&aid=24140
The American
Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 2000, Fourth Edition,
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
©
2002-2006 John
B. N. Banton
All rights
reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible
Society.
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