WE MUST REPRESENT GOD 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 GW [18] God has done all this. He has restored our relationship with him through Christ, and has given us this ministry of restoring relationships. [19] In other words, God was using Christ to restore his relationship with humanity. He didn’t hold people’s faults against them, and he has given us this message of restored relationships to tell others. [20] Therefore, we are Christ’s representatives, and through us God is calling you. We beg you on behalf of Christ to become reunited with God. [21] God had Christ, who was sinless, take our sin so that we might receive God’s approval through him. LET US REALIZE THAT WE ARE ALL MINISTERS TO BE USED BY GOD. WE ARE TO LEAD OTHERS TO GOD. WE ARE TO REPRESENT GOD. LET US THANK GOD FOR JESUS. IT IS BECAUSE OF JESUS THAT WE CAN HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, AND MAY HAVE GOD’S APPROVAL. PayPal.me/donatetochurch Everlastingsalvationchurchofgod.com PASTOR ANDRA HIGGINBOTHAM
GOD WILL JUDGE US 1 Corinthians 4:3–4 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Ecclesiastes 12:14 God will certainly judge everything that is done. This includes every secret thing, whether it is good or bad. IT’S MORE IMPORTANT TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT HOW GOD WILL JUDGE US, AND NOT HOW MAN JUDGES US. THANK ABOUT IT. Everlastingsalvationchurchofgod.com PASTOR ANDRA HIGGINBOTHAM
PART 1 Trusting God means not leaning on my own understanding. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Pr. 3:5-6, NIV) I can smirk at Disney’s “follow your heart” narrative—all the while trusting my own gut when it comes to navigating life. Yet, trusting God means not leaning on my own understanding. This doesn’t mean seeing myself as an idiot (I’m made in God’s image, after all). It does mean seeing God as infinitely smarter than I. And it means I’m acting intelligently when I’m following his lead. The truth is, my gut leads me in multiple contradictory directions at once, so much unlike the “straight paths” that come from submitting to God’s ways. Proverbs 3:6 ESV In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Hebrews 11:6 ESV And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. TRUST GOD AND BE BLESSED BY GOD. Everlastingsalvationchurchofgod.com PASTOR ANDRA HIGGINBOTHAM
PART 2 Trusting God means calling out for His help. “Guard my life, for I am faithful to you; save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God; have mercy on me, Lord, for I call to you all day long.” (Ps. 86:2-3, NIV) Trusting in God means both that I stop leaning on my own intelligence and that I lean wholly on him. It’s when the struggling swimmer lifts his hand above the surface of the water in order to flag help. 1 Chronicles 5:20 narrates, “They were helped in fighting them, and God delivered the Hagrites and all their allies into their hands, because they cried out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him” (NIV, emphasis added). Psalm 62:8 encourages us, “Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge” (NIV). Lamentations 3:55-58 ESV [55] “I called on your name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit; [56] you heard my plea, ‘Do not close your ear to my cry for help!’ [57] You came near when I called on you; you said, ‘Do not fear!’ [58] “You have taken up my cause, O Lord; you have redeemed my life. Romans 10:12 – For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, Psalm 86:5 – For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE CALLING ON THE WRONG ONE WHEN THEY NEED HELP. WE MUST CALL ON GOD, OUR HELP COMES FROM GOD. Everlastingsalvationchurchofgod.com PayPal.me/donatetochurch PASTOR ANDRA HIGGINBOTHAM
Faithful Examples Titus 2:1–8 Tell believers to live the kind of life that goes along with accurate teachings. Tell older men to be sober. Tell them to be men of good character, to use good judgment, and to be well-grounded in faith, love, and endurance. Tell older women to live their lives in a way that shows they are dedicated to God. Tell them not to be gossips or addicted to alcohol, but to be examples of virtue. In this way they will teach young women to show love to their husbands and children, to use good judgment, and to be morally pure. Also, tell them to teach young women to be homemakers, to be kind, and to place themselves under their husbands’ authority. Then no one can speak evil of God’s word. Encourage young men to use good judgment. Always set an example by doing good things. When you teach, be an example of moral purity and dignity. Speak an accurate message that cannot be condemned. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed because they cannot say anything bad about us. We cringe when we see other Christians exploiting the gospel, using it to advance their own personal or political agenda. Today, it doesn’t take much effort to do so—it’s as easy as posting a video or link online. In these situations, it’s tempting to respond with anger or frustration, but if we do so, we’re compounding the problem with our own behavior. We can learn a lot from an ancient Graeco—Roman context that really isn’t so different from ours. Paul had left Titus in Crete to help the Cretans learn what it looked like to live the gospel. Paul gives Titus instructions for each age and gender group to help the Cretan believers reset their old ways of being and avoid bringing the gospel message into disrepute. Paul realized, though, that the Cretans needed real-life examples to truly change. He set up mentors within the community. The elderly women were to teach younger women so that “the word of God may not be slandered” (Titus 2:5). Titus, a young man, needed to be a model of good works. His teaching needed to show “soundness, dignity, a sound message beyond reproach” (Titus 2:7–8). His works and his teaching were intended to be a model Christian living. The Cretan believers had to examine their old habits and behaviors, and we’re no different. All of us come from different contexts that have shaped the way we live out our faith—and sometimes we need correction. Although we’re quick to look down on other Christians when they inhibit the gospel message through their faulty applications, we’re often unaware when we do it ourselves. When we see others misusing the gospel, we need to wisely and lovingly confront them about their motives. Like Titus and influential Cretan believers, though, we also have to be open to the work of Christ in our own lives. We can do this by aligning our motives with the gospel and graciously and humbly accepting correction when it’s needed. Through living out the gospel, we can reflect Christ so that others are drawn to Him. How are you being a model for other Christians? Everlastingsalvationchurchofgod.com PayPal.me/donatetochurch PASTOR ANDRA HIGGINBOTHAM
OUR GOD LOVES TO HAVE DIALOGUE WITH US. OUR GOD TALKS TO US AND LISTENS TO US. Genesis 3:9–15 The LORD God called to the man and asked him, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden. I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” God asked, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat fruit from the tree I commanded you not to eat from?” The man answered, “That woman, the one you gave me, gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Then the LORD God asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The snake deceived me, and I ate,” the woman answered. So the LORD God said to the snake, “Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all the wild or domestic animals. You will crawl on your belly. You will be the lowest of animals as long as you live. I will make you and the woman hostile toward each other. I will make your descendants and her descendant hostile toward each other. He will crush your head, and you will bruise his heel.” Genesis 4:8–13 Cain talked to his brother Abel. Later, when they were in the fields, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. The LORD asked Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he answered. “Am I supposed to take care of my brother?” The LORD asked, “What have you done? Your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground. So now you are cursed from the ground, which has received the blood of your brother whom you killed. When you farm the ground, it will no longer yield its best for you. You will be a fugitive, a wanderer on the earth.” But Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is more than I can stand! SPEND TIME WITH GOD AND RECOGNIZE HIS VOICE. OUR GOD STILL TALKS TO US AND LISTENS TO US. IT IS PART OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. IT IS GOOD TO SPEND TIME COMMUNING WITH GOD. Everlastingsalvationchurchofgod.com PayPal.me/donatetochurch PASTOR ANDRA HIGGINBOTHAM
CHRIST DRIVING PEOPLE OUT. Psalm 119:115 Depart from me, evildoers, That I may observe the commandments of my God. Psalm 6:8 Depart from me, all you who do iniquity, For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping. Matthew 7:23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ Matthew 21:12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. THERE MAY COME A TIME WHEN YOU WILL NEED TO DRIVE PEOPLE AWAY FROM YOU. THINK ABOUT IT. Everlastingsalvationchurchofgod.com PayPal.me/donatetochurch PASTOR ANDRA HIGGINBOTHAM
JUST A REMINDER Matthew 6:33, NLT Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. WE MUST LIVE OUR LIFE SEEKING GOD FIRST. WE MUST LIVE A RIGHTEOUS LIFE. IF WE WILL DO THOSE TWO THINGS GOD WILL BLESS US WITH ALL THAT WE NEED. Revelation 1:8 KJV I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. OUR GOD ALWAY HAS BEEN, OUR GOD IS NOW, AND OUR GOD ALWAYS WILL BE ALMIGHTY. IF YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD YOU HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. OUR GOD HAVE OUR BACK FOREVER!!!! GLORY!!! HALLELUJAH!!! OUR GOD IS ALMIGHTY!!! Everlastingsalvationchurchofgod.com PayPal.me/donatetochurch PASTOR ANDRA HIGGINBOTHAM
God’s people are to resist sin 1 Peter 2:11 Dear friends, since you are foreigners and temporary residents ⸤in the world⸥, I’m encouraging you to keep away from the desires of your corrupt nature. These desires constantly attack you. Proverbs 4:23–27 Guard your heart more than anything else, because the source of your life flows from it. Remove dishonesty from your mouth. Put deceptive speech far away from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead and your sight be focused in front of you. Carefully walk a straight path, and all your ways will be secure. Do not lean to the right or to the left. Walk away from evil. James 1:21 So get rid of all immoral behavior and all the wicked things you do. Humbly accept the word that God has placed in you. This word can save you. 1 John 3:6 Those who live in Christ don’t go on sinning. Those who go on sinning haven’t seen or known Christ. God calls his people to avoid sin, and through Jesus Christ gives them the inner power to be victorious over it. AS WE GO ABOUT OUR DAILY LIFE LET US RESIST SIN AND CONTINUE ON THE STRAIGHT GODLY PATH. LET US LIVE GODLY AND BE BLESSED BY GOD. Everlastingsalvationchurchofgod.com PayPal.me/donatetochurch PASTOR ANDRA HIGGINBOTHAM
