You Take it from Here ~ Part 4

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You Take it from Here ~ Part 4

By Pastor Gary Wayne

Rom.8:14 Message Bible - God's Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go!
We watched while God worked, then we did it together, then He watched, - Now as we are at the top of this new year, I feel God saying, I have taught you, now go – “You take it from here.” I’m not alone, He is right here with me, but He is wanting me to exercise my position in Him.

I’ve been spending time talking about having the Father’s heart, and living life on purpose.

What did Jesus say was the greatest commandment?
Text: Isaiah 6:1-9, Matthew 22:35-40

What do you think Jesus meant in ver. 40, “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

A question I ask myself is how do I measure if I’m keeping the greatest commandment? It’s not by what I say, but by how I live. Right?

Purpose flows out of values. Every time I make a decision to do something, I am filtering that decision through my 'values grid', whether I realize it or not.
So, a MAJOR question is: Where do I get my values from?

We start life by picking our values from our parents, our friends, from school or college, from movies, social opinion, from my environment in general.
It’s amazing to me the power the media plays in shaping our values, and what we believe. What I listen to has a HUGE impact on me.
If I’m saturated by a constant voice that something is wrong, or not wrong, even if I started out knowing the truth, that constant voice colors my thinking.
Spiritually, we get our values in life from one of two places – the world or the Word.
I will get my values in life from either culture or Christ.

1Jo 2:15-16 “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - is not of the Father but is of the world.”

Ro 12:2 “Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”
I know for Gary, if I’m not continually in the Word, I conform to values that are different from the heart of the Father.

Ro 2:4 “… the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”
Repentance isn’t just asking God to forgive me of my sins, but a fuller definition for repentance is to change the way I think.
Having God’s heart changes the way I think - about others, about my ministry, about my purpose in life.

I no longer “fit God into” my busy life, but His heart, His motives, His purpose transforms my thinking.

I think there is a progression – a result of the Father’s heart being my value system.

Being a friend of God, knowing His heart, understanding His value system, rules over everything about me.

Loving others takes on a new dimension.
Not a concept, not a goal, it’s a transformation of my heart that now looks like Father’s.
The result is I’m now helping others. Not as a sideline hustle I do because church told me to.
Not just because Pastor asked me to pray for someone - but because having the Father’s heart towards others causes me to respond.
How I pray, why I get involved takes on a whole new meaning.

Isaiah 6:1-9
Notice the progression of Isaiah in chapter 6.
Ver.1-4 A revelation of who God is.
Ver.5 After seeing who God is, Isaiah saw who Isaiah was.
Ver.6-7 The seraphim cleansed him with a coal from the altar. Iniquity taken away.
(The altar will ALWAYSE alter our life.)
Ver.8 Then Isaiah could hear the heart of God.
Ver.9 Isaiah’ response to the heart of the Father – “Send me.”

The Father is still looking for those who will respond to His heart.