Gettingin the Game - Finding a Church #18

The Kingdom Cowboy

Summary:

There are so many Christians who accept Christ as their Savior and get born again, but end up not doing much with it. They don’t understand that salvation is just the start of the game, and not the end of the game. To be a real player in God’s Kingdom requires much teaching and training, even to be able to wear a uniform, let along play in the game. That’s why we are not only to be born again and be baptized in water, but also we are to hook up with a church where you can grow and become everything that God wants you to walk in. Don’t miss God’s Kingdom, thinking it’s off in the future. Open up to it’s fullness now, and walk it out.

Show Notes:

• Books that Andy Taylor has written: “Reading Your Bible for all it’s Worth”, which is a very good way to help someone to start to learn to read their Bible. Also: “The Best Kept Secrets in the Kingdom”, which talks about getting a relationship with the Father and spending some time with Him.

• Salvation is just a matter of receiving Jesus; “Lord, I receive you into my life”. That’s all that it takes. After that, the Bible encourages us to be baptized in water. You will be able to tell that something is different when you get born again.

• When you do get born again, you can enter in and see the Kingdom of God, and you start getting spiritual eyes to see how the Kingdom is manifesting right now in the world.

• True words from God should start resonating with your spirit about the past, your intellect, your mind and emotions, which touches something deep down inside of you. That’s what the Word of God does, especially when there’s the anointing of the Holy Spirit on that Word.

• So, how do you then find a church? “God has determined our pre-appointed times and the boundaries of our dwelling”. Where you go to church, where you hook up and connect, is really, really important.

1. 1. 1. Find a church that preaches the Bible.

      2. It’s ultra important that the church is talking about not just what you do, but teaches you who you are in the Lord, and teaches you about the Father.

      3. One of the key things that causes people to come to church and stay in church is that they start building relationships. The Kingdom of God is Relationships. They are able to connect relationally.

      4. It has to feel like you fit, and it feels like home to you.

      5. The Bible says that we are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. You should really feel that the people are being encouraged to be together often.

      6. It should be a place where you are able to find and move in your gifting.

      7. Find a church where people understand they are being equipped for the work of the ministry. That is how the whole body takes shape.

      8. It needs to be a church where they’re at least talking about, and helping people to understand the Kingdom of God.

      9. Look for a church where they love to worship. God is looking for those true worshipers who worship in spirit and truth.

Quotes:

• Nicodemus came to Jesus at night because he saw something in Jesus, that going through the religious motions didn’t do for Him. He saw a life. Jesus told Nicodemus, “you must be born again or you can’t see the Kingdom of God”.

• The first thing that has to happen if we are going to get in the game is to have that relationship with the Lord.

• If you have not made a decision to receive Jesus as your Savior, and then make Him the Lord of your life, that has to happen before any thing else can happen. So, you have to be born again.

• Look for a church that sounds like they’re speaking your language, it resonates with your spirit and it just feels right, which is your spirit agreeing with what’s going on there. You’ll know; it just bears witness with your spirit.

• If all these aspects of a church are coming together for you, then you roll your sleeves up and learn how your gifted. We find those things out by just doing and learning to do ministry.

• Look around and see where there is help needed and step in, volunteer and help in that spot. Finding where you are not gifted is as important as finding out how you are gifted.

• The Kingdom of God exists in its perfection, in its fullness, and its completion, but it’s not manifested in the natural realm, the realm we live in, until we are obedient to the Lord.

References:

Acts 17:26

Matthew 6:33

Matthew 24:14

Takeaways:

Get in the game and stop playing around on the fringes of what God is doing right now in His Kingdom. Open up to what God is doing right now, and stop putting this off, thinking that there will be a better time to get in the game down the way. The Kingdom of God is now!