Being Effective Christians In The Tulare Church

John 17:1-4, “1…Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they

know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.”

Being Effective Christians In The Tulare Church

It would be easy to make a list of: 7 things 7 programs 7 ideas will make us effective

I. Jesus came: to save sinners…

I. Jesus came: to save sinners… to be a servant…

I. Jesus came: to save sinners… to be a servant… to show that light makes a difference – light reveals ---

John 8:12-13 “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

John 12:46-47 “46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.”

Acts 26:17-18 “17…I am sending you 18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins…”

to show us death and life are under his control –

Romans 14:7-9 “7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this

end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.”

That is a summary of Christ’s mission.

That is a summary of Christ’s mission. In doing those things Christ did something that had a huge impact on God.

John 17:1-4 “1…Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that

they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.”

“4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.” ESV

“4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.” ESV “4 I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” NIV

What did Jesus do that he felt was significant?

“Glory” is a word we seldom use, and yet our purpose…

“4 I glorified you …” The Greek word “glory” (εοζασα) means to MAGNIFY.

So if we want to be effective as a Church… is glorified

So if we want to be effective as a Church… is glorified is clearly seen

So if we want to be effective as a Church… is glorified is clearly seen is magnified for all to see

II. Does God Deserve To Be Glorified?

Psalm 63:3-5 “3 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. 4 So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. 5 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my

mouth will praise you with joyful lips,”

John 12:27-28 “ 27 Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven: "I have

glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”

1 Chronicles 16:28-29 “8 Ascribe to the Lord, O clans of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength! 29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering

and come before him! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;”

“8 I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other,” Isaiah 42:8 “8 I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other,”

If these texts were talking about a man, we might say…

Revelation 5:1-6 “1 Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy

to open the scroll and break its seals to open the scroll and break its seals?" 3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, 4 and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into

it. 5 And one of the elders said to me, "Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.“ 6 And between the throne and the four living

creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain,” Revelation 5:1-6

To be effective I must know that God is worthy of glory, and live to see that…

IF I am not giving glory to GOD…

IF I am not giving glory to GOD… I’m giving it to someone ELSE!

“8 I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other,” Isaiah 42:8 “8 I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other,”

So Jesus PUTS THIS HUGE SPOTLIGHT…

III. Remembering The Importance Of Glorifying God!

Since we don’t normally think ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT IS that WE GLORIFY…

Ephesians 1:15-23 “ 15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of

our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called

you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he

raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to THE CHURCH, 23 WHICH IS HIS BODY, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” Ephesians 1:15-23

I’M LOOKING AT THOSE WHO ARE THE SAME PEOPLE AS THOSE…

YOU are … THE FULLNESS of him who fills everything in every way.

BUT JUST HOW SIGNIFICANT IS THE CHURCH?

Ephesians 3:10-11, “11…through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11This was

according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,”

From the time God created the world, those, LOOKING ON, in THE HEAVENLY REALMS…

They WATCHED THE CHURCH UNFOLD, they see the GLORY OF GOD!

A jeweler takes a diamond, and what does he do with it?

As those heavenly rulers and authorities look at the Church today, what do they see?