Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Be Bold! You Carry the Inheritance of the Lord!



What does it mean to carry God's inheritance?
The Lord's Inheritance... Something we have inherited? Or something God inherits from us?

Psalm 37:18
The LORD knows the days of the upright, And their inheritance shall be forever.
Psalm 33:12
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.

BOTH are true! Have I got your attention? There is treasure to be unburied! Shovels ready... Lets Dig!

What is an inheritance? : the reception of qualities by transmission from parent to offspring
,the acquisition of a possession, condition, or trait from past generations, a valuable possession.

A Word Picture: A man with a dream invests his time and interest in learning all there is to know in order to full fill his dream. Over the years he is blessed with a family. As God allows he continues to pursue his dream, investing his time and money. His dream comes true for him because of his investments he has made, giving of himself to pursue his dream...This dream could be to become an engineer, or simply to be the best father to his kids, or to serve God with all his Heart. At any rate, he has something to pass down to his kids. His kids have an inheritance, whether that is money or the qualities he has passed down such as honesty, how to love unconditionally, a sailboat and the skill of knowing how to sail...etc. My point: in order to inherit something someone had to have made an investment.

Investment: Something paid for in advance in order to reap from at a later time, such as property with potential purchased for a price.

What has God invested:
Philippians 2:6-8
Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!
1 Peter 2:24
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

What is God investing: According to the bible and my own life's journey he invests daily his time, wisdom, power, grace, mercy, love, kindness, joy, patience, goodness, holiness, strength, truth, knowledge, and Himself. Can anyone say they have ever given more to invest? NO!

Is His investment in me worth it?
John 15:13-14 "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends..."
Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

John 15:11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

Apparently He knows we are worth it. His love, words, and deeds prove it!

The inheritance he has passed down to us is such a precious gift! The gift of eternity and so much more!

What is God's inheritance?
We are his inheritance, but not just you and I.

John 3:16-17
"For God so loved
the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."
Exodus 34:9
"Lord," he said, "if I have found favor in your eyes, then let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as your inheritance."

Galatians 3: 26 For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

Is this something I chose or did he choose me? Both

Isaiah 43:10
"You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.

1 Peter 2:9-10 "...you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people.

Yes! He chose us... But we also choose to accept his invitation to be his children. We choose to pick up our cross daily by remembering whose we are and what we are. We are HIS, We are Forgiven, Free and dearly loved. We live to be faithful daughters and sons; we serve our father the King.

Luke 9:23-24 “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. "
Lets go back to John 15:9-17 and review some clips: "Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. You didn’t (first) choose me. I chose you.
This is my command: Love each other.
"

After reading all these scriptures I bet you can guess what we are to be investing toward God's inheritance.

Matthew 28:19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:22 The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Matthew 5:13
"You are the salt of the earth. "

Matthew 5:14
"You are the light of the world."

John 15:
This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.

Can I succeed and not "drop the ball?"
Philippians 4:13 For I can do everything through Christ,who gives me strength.
Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Luke 1:37
"For nothing is impossible with GOD."