Maintaining the new you written by Pastor Todd Boxely.of try Jesus Online Ministry
Good morning, everyone. Welcome to “Try Jesus!” If this is your first time joining us, it’s great to have you with us. I would like to thank new members for joining “Try Jesus” from Atlanta, Illinois, Indiana and Philadelphia Pennsylvania.
What a day of rejoicing in the body of Christ. God is preparing his people for victory! This morning, I was thinking about God’s people walking in the power of the Holy Spirit. I also thought about the lyrics to a familiar song. Here are the lyrics.
🎵”We’re the people of God
called by his name; called from the dark;
and delivered from shame, one holy race,
saints everyone; because of the blood of Christ, Jesus the son.”
“So hear us, o spirits of darkness, so you will know where we stand, we are his servants, purchased with scars; bought by the blood of the lamb, the blood of the lamb.”🎵
As this nation rages and sits in darkness, Christians stand on the firm, solid rock of our Lord and Savior, Jesus! We are indeed victorious over the plan of the enemy. We are one body called by his name.
Let’s welcome his presence this morning. “Heavenly Father, we thank you for being the captain of these vessels. As we gather here in the harbor of your safety, we thank you for fellowship and family. We ask that you strengthen us, restore us and inspire us with your love. We ask that our souls catch the wind of your spirit so that we would take your promises to all the earth. In Jesus name, amen.”
Last week was an awesome time of many realizing that they didn’t have to stay in that broken condition. I thank the Lord for those who reached out in prayer and have been set free. Today’s message is a continuation, if you will, from last week’s message. How come?
Because when something is new, it still needs to be maintained. How many of you have a new car? When you shake hands with the dealership, and drive that new vehicle off the lot, it has this pristine new look and smell. But after a while that new look and smell can wear off. The car may still have new looking parts, but as soon as you take it off the lot, depreciation sets in. The value on the blue book starts ticking.
Should you just except it and do nothing? I know individuals, (without mentioning names), who purchase a car and drive it into the ground. They never read the manual, never change the oil, never follow the maintenance schedule. Their car starts to look older than other cars on the road the same year as theirs.
With advanced technology in our smart phones, and inside the newer cars, we really have no excuses for not doing anything to keep our vehicles in good running condition. Some might say, “after I purchased my car, my financial status changed, and I couldn’t keep up with the maintenance schedule.”
I totally understand that circumstances can cause us to skip some vital details about our vehicle’s maintenance schedule. But if you’ve been made new from last week’s message, you have a spiritual mechanic who helps maintain everything in your life.
This is why God is so great at watching over those areas that we neglect. I recently purchased some new appliances to do laundry. The people who delivered the appliances had a quick install, let’s get out of here attitude. There were simple things like not plugging in the appliance, not having their own levels to make sure everything is balanced.
After they installed the appliances, they left. I couldn’t help to think how much life could be taking away from the function of those appliances if I had not corrected the errors the delivery people didn’t recognize. After I made sure the water inlet hoses were properly hooked up, I made sure each appliance was leveled correctly.
I also read both manuals to ensure that I would practice these maintenance schedules to get the best out of my appliances. This is what happens when God makes us new and improved (born again).
We all understand how easy it can be to have something break down in your home. We are no different. If we don’t live from the manual God has given us (The Bible), we too will begin to break down and the world will cost us to malfunction.
So, what does the Bible say about maintaining your Christian life? For those who haven’t read their Bible in a while, let’s give them the opportunity to search for the living word. Ok, let’s start by looking in your Bibles to (2 Corinthians 13:5). Here’s what it says, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”
How do you examine yourself? By measuring yourself according to God’s laws and commandments. Just as you would go to the doctor for a physical to see if you can play a particular sport, you can use the Bible to see if you are in the faith (born-again).
[The Corinthians were called to examine and test themselves to see if they really were Christians. Paul urges us to give ourselves spiritual checkups. We should look for a growing awareness of Christ’s presence and power in our lives. Only then will we know if we are true Christians or merely impostors.]
God wants us to be spiritually tuned up for the Christian life he has called us to walk in. When the Lord saves you, you become his workmanship. Ephesians 2:10 explains our lives in the hands of the Potter, and we being the clay. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10 KJV). Also please read Isaiah 64:8; Ephesians 3:16-19; Colossians 1:21-23; 2:6-8).
From last week’s message until today, if you have excepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are embarking on a special relationship with the creator of the universe. God has come to not only fix your life, but to build on your life and maintain your relationship with him.
But just like maintaining your new car or maintaining those new appliances, God expects your involvement in maintaining your relationship with him. I recall a woman who came to me after one of our services and asked me to pray for her. She waited until people had begun to leave and caught me going downstairs in the church.
I asked her what her concerns were. It’s always good to allow people to express what’s in their heart. I just wanted to be quiet and listen. She told me she felt dry inside. She felt like she was in the desert. She was coming to church regularly but would leave without any spiritual nourishment.
I asked her how her personal time with Jesus was outside of church. She was doing all the right things at church but there were difficulties at home. When you’re in the desert your throat feels parched. Your words are brittle, and your strength fails rapidly. After explaining other details to me, I took hold of her hands and prayed for her to experience God’s outpouring fresh anointing on her life.
When someone has been out in the desert without water, after gaining access to it, you are told to sip and take in a little bit at a time. I suggested she and anyone in her household get together and invite Jesus into the discussion. I also suggested a reading time at home where she can be alone with God. That priority comes before anyone or anything in her life. It made me think of two individuals in the Bible who wanted more of God and not less of his presence after discussions with him.
Peter and Jesus. I remember the discussion Jesus had with Peter about washing his feet. In that scenario Jesus prepared to wash the disciples’ feet (John 13:4-10). But when he got to Peter, there was resistance on Peter’s part because he thought it was beneath Jesus to do such a thing.
[When Jesus responded, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me,” Peter would not have learned the lesson of servanthood. Peter eventually grasped the significance of Jesus’ words, for he then wanted to be bathed completely: “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”]
Moses and God. When Moses first met Almighty God, he was filled with inadequacies. He just needed time to see who God was and how he interacts with his creation. The more time Moses spent with God the less he resembled the Midian shepherd who earlier had taken someone’s life. The closer he got to God the more he wanted to know about him. I love the passage when Moses exclaimed “Show me your glory!” (Exodus 33:17-20).
Some might say, “Hey pastor, my life is filled with taking care of my wife and children, I don’t have time to spend forty days and nights with God.” Yes, God wants you to love the gifts he has provided for you. However, God still is a jealous God, he still takes first place in your life. He will open time for you to be alone with him. I know people who rise up at three or four o’clock in the morning just to spend that hour with God. God gives us no excuses for not making him our first love and priority of the day (Matthew 6:33).
[In Moses we see an outstanding personality shaped by God. But we must not misunderstand what God did. He did not change who or what Moses was; he did not give Moses new abilities and strengths. Instead, he took Moses’ characteristics and molded them until they were suited to his purposes.]
[To “seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously” means to put God first in your life, to fill your thoughts with his desires, to use his character as your life’s pattern, and to keep on implementing his Kingdom values on earth.]
In Jesus’ Kingdom, worrying about daily needs leaves us empty. But maintaining a good relationship with him and loving others give us all these benefits as by-products.
When the Israelites obeyed God through the law he gave to Moses, things went smoothly. But whenever they veered off course through sin and disobedience, they suffered greatly. They too had a manual to follow, the law of God. Read this example of what happen when they failed to follow the words of God (Exodus 16:15-20).
The Bible is our manual for living and maintaining our spiritual condition to function on a spiritual high level. What is really important to you? People, objects, goals, and other desires all compete for priority.
When you don’t maintain your walk with God, it’s like letting your vehicle miss the inspection appointments year after year. Eventually, your car will break down and you’ll probably get pulled over by the police for a vehicle that may be unfit to be on the road.
In the exercise world, they say “if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.” The wonderful thing about God is, he’ll never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). Should we take advantage of the Grace of God? “Absolutely not!” Many people failed in the Bible to maintain their relationships with God.
Your Sunday homework assignment is to see if you can find a person in the Bible who failed to maintain his/her relationship and suffered through it. “Pretty easy, right?” Sometimes it’s easier to see who else blew it besides placing ourselves underneath God’s spiritual microscope.
Here are passages of scripture you might be able to match with the person you are trying to find in your reading and study. (2 Timothy 3:16; 1 John 2:15; 1 John 2:5,6; 1 Timothy 1:1-20; 2 Peter 1:20,21; 1 John 5:11-13).
🗣📢 Last words: When you examine (bring yourself to God) how are your prayers to him?
1) Are your prayers usually filled with gimmes. (Not gummies). Smile.
2) Are your prayers spread apart by days, months, years? Or can’t you remember the last time you talked to God. “If your praying, you’re not fainting, if your fainting, you’re not praying.” Time to quickly reach for that spiritual oxygen for your heart. God wants to breathe his life in you.
3) Sometimes people tell God every little detail about their life but fail to listen to his loving instructions. It’s like telling someone how to fix something, they are communicating but minutes later their wanting you to fix the issue. Sometimes we forget who the authority figure is.
4) Have you told somebody the things they want to hear, instead of telling them the honest truth of what they need to hear? Many times we tell God things he already knows about us, but we don’t want to hear the plan laid out to be free.
Here’s some rock solid information to keep as your spiritual manual when you need to go back and refer to the owner.
A) Believe in salvation through Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31; Romans 10:8-10,13; John 1:12-14).
B) Pray regularly to strengthen your relationship with God (1 Thessalonians 5:17; James 4:8,9; Psalm 73:28).
C) Develop a habit of reading the word of God every day. (2 Timothy 2:15; Psalm 119:11; 105; 1 Timothy 4:13; Matthew 4:4; Hebrews 4:12; John 15:7; 1 Peter 2:2; John 1:1).
D) Engage in fellowship with other believers. God did not save us to isolate us. Some people will ask me if you can be Christian and not go to church. Well, you can be saved, but you’ll miss out on all the love of others that you’re going to spend eternity on heaven with. Why would you wait to get to heaven to be an inclusive person? That’s why the Bible commands us to gather together.
When we assemble as the Body of Christ, we are to stir each other up in love and encourage one other in our faith. The Bible says two is better than one. Jesus also told us that he is the vine, and we are the branches. If you stay away from where others are attached, you’ll start to whither and be vulnerable to outside attacks. There are no Islands in heaven where you can be alone by yourself. Please engage yourself with other believers and read these passages together (Hebrews 10:25; John 13:34,35; 15:4,5; Romans 12:10).
E) When we stay together it enables us to see those pesky wolves (devils) that try to attack the sheep. That’s why God gives us shepherds and those in ministry to look after one another. The closer we stay to God; the enemy can’t breech our spiritual wall. God can increase our strength to stay away from temptations that may lead to sin. He dresses us in his complete armor, that we never take off while on this earth
(John 10:10; Ephesians 4:24-32; 6:10-18; 1 Thessalonians 5:22; James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8,9).
“Something new has arrived, don’t throw away the manual!” Throwing the manual away, throws your life away.
🛐 Here’s a prayer manual to keep with you from the cradle to the grave. “Heavenly Father, you have complete authority over every life on this planet. You direct the steps of those who submit to you. Your open opportunities for those who follow you. Lord, cause us to seek you every day. Help us to maintain our relationship with you, guide us with your gentle nudges. Help me to work out your salvation today with fear (reverence) mental clarity. Do not allow the promises of material gain to cloud our thinking and put down your living manual (Bible) to collect dust.
Bless us with your wisdom, that we may have the discernment to determine what is questionable and what is reliable. Lord, you have triumphed over the devil. He can no longer touch our souls. We belong to you for all eternity. Free us when he tries to depress us. Make your joy our strength. Clothe us, O Lord, with your holy armor, that we may be able to stand against his schemes and resist his attacks. We thank you Lord, for your written, breathing, living word, in Jesus name, amen”
Maintaining the new you written by Pastor Todd Boxely.of try Jesus Online Ministry
Good morning, everyone. Welcome to “Try Jesus!” If this is your first time joining us, it’s great to have you with us. I would like to thank new members for joining “Try Jesus” from Atlanta, Illinois, Indiana and Philadelphia Pennsylvania.
What a day of rejoicing in the body of Christ. God is preparing his people for victory! This morning, I was thinking about God’s people walking in the power of the Holy Spirit. I also thought about the lyrics to a familiar song. Here are the lyrics.
🎵”We’re the people of God
called by his name; called from the dark;
and delivered from shame, one holy race,
saints everyone; because of the blood of Christ, Jesus the son.”
“So hear us, o spirits of darkness, so you will know where we stand, we are his servants, purchased with scars; bought by the blood of the lamb, the blood of the lamb.”🎵
As this nation rages and sits in darkness, Christians stand on the firm, solid rock of our Lord and Savior, Jesus! We are indeed victorious over the plan of the enemy. We are one body called by his name.
Let’s welcome his presence this morning. “Heavenly Father, we thank you for being the captain of these vessels. As we gather here in the harbor of your safety, we thank you for fellowship and family. We ask that you strengthen us, restore us and inspire us with your love. We ask that our souls catch the wind of your spirit so that we would take your promises to all the earth. In Jesus name, amen.”
Last week was an awesome time of many realizing that they didn’t have to stay in that broken condition. I thank the Lord for those who reached out in prayer and have been set free. Today’s message is a continuation, if you will, from last week’s message. How come?
Because when something is new, it still needs to be maintained. How many of you have a new car? When you shake hands with the dealership, and drive that new vehicle off the lot, it has this pristine new look and smell. But after a while that new look and smell can wear off. The car may still have new looking parts, but as soon as you take it off the lot, depreciation sets in. The value on the blue book starts ticking.
Should you just except it and do nothing? I know individuals, (without mentioning names), who purchase a car and drive it into the ground. They never read the manual, never change the oil, never follow the maintenance schedule. Their car starts to look older than other cars on the road the same year as theirs.
With advanced technology in our smart phones, and inside the newer cars, we really have no excuses for not doing anything to keep our vehicles in good running condition. Some might say, “after I purchased my car, my financial status changed, and I couldn’t keep up with the maintenance schedule.”
I totally understand that circumstances can cause us to skip some vital details about our vehicle’s maintenance schedule. But if you’ve been made new from last week’s message, you have a spiritual mechanic who helps maintain everything in your life.
This is why God is so great at watching over those areas that we neglect. I recently purchased some new appliances to do laundry. The people who delivered the appliances had a quick install, let’s get out of here attitude. There were simple things like not plugging in the appliance, not having their own levels to make sure everything is balanced.
After they installed the appliances, they left. I couldn’t help to think how much life could be taking away from the function of those appliances if I had not corrected the errors the delivery people didn’t recognize. After I made sure the water inlet hoses were properly hooked up, I made sure each appliance was leveled correctly.
I also read both manuals to ensure that I would practice these maintenance schedules to get the best out of my appliances. This is what happens when God makes us new and improved (born again).
We all understand how easy it can be to have something break down in your home. We are no different. If we don’t live from the manual God has given us (The Bible), we too will begin to break down and the world will cost us to malfunction.
So, what does the Bible say about maintaining your Christian life? For those who haven’t read their Bible in a while, let’s give them the opportunity to search for the living word. Ok, let’s start by looking in your Bibles to (2 Corinthians 13:5). Here’s what it says, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”
How do you examine yourself? By measuring yourself according to God’s laws and commandments. Just as you would go to the doctor for a physical to see if you can play a particular sport, you can use the Bible to see if you are in the faith (born-again).
[The Corinthians were called to examine and test themselves to see if they really were Christians. Paul urges us to give ourselves spiritual checkups. We should look for a growing awareness of Christ’s presence and power in our lives. Only then will we know if we are true Christians or merely impostors.]
God wants us to be spiritually tuned up for the Christian life he has called us to walk in. When the Lord saves you, you become his workmanship. Ephesians 2:10 explains our lives in the hands of the Potter, and we being the clay. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10 KJV). Also please read Isaiah 64:8; Ephesians 3:16-19; Colossians 1:21-23; 2:6-8).
From last week’s message until today, if you have excepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are embarking on a special relationship with the creator of the universe. God has come to not only fix your life, but to build on your life and maintain your relationship with him.
But just like maintaining your new car or maintaining those new appliances, God expects your involvement in maintaining your relationship with him. I recall a woman who came to me after one of our services and asked me to pray for her. She waited until people had begun to leave and caught me going downstairs in the church.
I asked her what her concerns were. It’s always good to allow people to express what’s in their heart. I just wanted to be quiet and listen. She told me she felt dry inside. She felt like she was in the desert. She was coming to church regularly but would leave without any spiritual nourishment.
I asked her how her personal time with Jesus was outside of church. She was doing all the right things at church but there were difficulties at home. When you’re in the desert your throat feels parched. Your words are brittle, and your strength fails rapidly. After explaining other details to me, I took hold of her hands and prayed for her to experience God’s outpouring fresh anointing on her life.
When someone has been out in the desert without water, after gaining access to it, you are told to sip and take in a little bit at a time. I suggested she and anyone in her household get together and invite Jesus into the discussion. I also suggested a reading time at home where she can be alone with God. That priority comes before anyone or anything in her life. It made me think of two individuals in the Bible who wanted more of God and not less of his presence after discussions with him.
Peter and Jesus. I remember the discussion Jesus had with Peter about washing his feet. In that scenario Jesus prepared to wash the disciples’ feet (John 13:4-10). But when he got to Peter, there was resistance on Peter’s part because he thought it was beneath Jesus to do such a thing.
[When Jesus responded, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me,” Peter would not have learned the lesson of servanthood. Peter eventually grasped the significance of Jesus’ words, for he then wanted to be bathed completely: “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”]
Moses and God. When Moses first met Almighty God, he was filled with inadequacies. He just needed time to see who God was and how he interacts with his creation. The more time Moses spent with God the less he resembled the Midian shepherd who earlier had taken someone’s life. The closer he got to God the more he wanted to know about him. I love the passage when Moses exclaimed “Show me your glory!” (Exodus 33:17-20).
Some might say, “Hey pastor, my life is filled with taking care of my wife and children, I don’t have time to spend forty days and nights with God.” Yes, God wants you to love the gifts he has provided for you. However, God still is a jealous God, he still takes first place in your life. He will open time for you to be alone with him. I know people who rise up at three or four o’clock in the morning just to spend that hour with God. God gives us no excuses for not making him our first love and priority of the day (Matthew 6:33).
[In Moses we see an outstanding personality shaped by God. But we must not misunderstand what God did. He did not change who or what Moses was; he did not give Moses new abilities and strengths. Instead, he took Moses’ characteristics and molded them until they were suited to his purposes.]
[To “seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously” means to put God first in your life, to fill your thoughts with his desires, to use his character as your life’s pattern, and to keep on implementing his Kingdom values on earth.]
In Jesus’ Kingdom, worrying about daily needs leaves us empty. But maintaining a good relationship with him and loving others give us all these benefits as by-products.
When the Israelites obeyed God through the law he gave to Moses, things went smoothly. But whenever they veered off course through sin and disobedience, they suffered greatly. They too had a manual to follow, the law of God. Read this example of what happen when they failed to follow the words of God (Exodus 16:15-20).
The Bible is our manual for living and maintaining our spiritual condition to function on a spiritual high level. What is really important to you? People, objects, goals, and other desires all compete for priority.
When you don’t maintain your walk with God, it’s like letting your vehicle miss the inspection appointments year after year. Eventually, your car will break down and you’ll probably get pulled over by the police for a vehicle that may be unfit to be on the road.
In the exercise world, they say “if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.” The wonderful thing about God is, he’ll never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). Should we take advantage of the Grace of God? “Absolutely not!” Many people failed in the Bible to maintain their relationships with God.
Your Sunday homework assignment is to see if you can find a person in the Bible who failed to maintain his/her relationship and suffered through it. “Pretty easy, right?” Sometimes it’s easier to see who else blew it besides placing ourselves underneath God’s spiritual microscope.
Here are passages of scripture you might be able to match with the person you are trying to find in your reading and study. (2 Timothy 3:16; 1 John 2:15; 1 John 2:5,6; 1 Timothy 1:1-20; 2 Peter 1:20,21; 1 John 5:11-13).
🗣📢 Last words: When you examine (bring yourself to God) how are your prayers to him?
1) Are your prayers usually filled with gimmes. (Not gummies). Smile.
2) Are your prayers spread apart by days, months, years? Or can’t you remember the last time you talked to God. “If your praying, you’re not fainting, if your fainting, you’re not praying.” Time to quickly reach for that spiritual oxygen for your heart. God wants to breathe his life in you.
3) Sometimes people tell God every little detail about their life but fail to listen to his loving instructions. It’s like telling someone how to fix something, they are communicating but minutes later their wanting you to fix the issue. Sometimes we forget who the authority figure is.
4) Have you told somebody the things they want to hear, instead of telling them the honest truth of what they need to hear? Many times we tell God things he already knows about us, but we don’t want to hear the plan laid out to be free.
Here’s some rock solid information to keep as your spiritual manual when you need to go back and refer to the owner.
A) Believe in salvation through Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31; Romans 10:8-10,13; John 1:12-14).
B) Pray regularly to strengthen your relationship with God (1 Thessalonians 5:17; James 4:8,9; Psalm 73:28).
C) Develop a habit of reading the word of God every day. (2 Timothy 2:15; Psalm 119:11; 105; 1 Timothy 4:13; Matthew 4:4; Hebrews 4:12; John 15:7; 1 Peter 2:2; John 1:1).
D) Engage in fellowship with other believers. God did not save us to isolate us. Some people will ask me if you can be Christian and not go to church. Well, you can be saved, but you’ll miss out on all the love of others that you’re going to spend eternity on heaven with. Why would you wait to get to heaven to be an inclusive person? That’s why the Bible commands us to gather together.