TELL

When your friend tells you something, you tend to believe them. When was the last time you told a friend what Jesus has done for you?

Do you have any non-Christian friends? Have you told them what the Lord has done in your life?

In the Gospel of John, Jesus was talking to the woman at the well. When they were done talking she went and told the whole city what Jesus had done…

And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” ⁴⁰So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. ⁴¹And many more believed because of His own word. ⁴²Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.” John 4:39 - 42 (NKJV)

It’s your task to relate what God has done in your life. When you mix that with God’s Holy Word…many more will believe.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

HERE

While we might say we like to be alone, it is usually not a state in which we like to remain. We all need each other in some way or another. In these days of modern technology, when a friend leaves, goes on a trip or vacation, we can still communicate with them by telephone, instant messaging or email.

When Jesus was preparing His disciples for His death on the cross, He assured them that they would not remain alone…

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. ¹⁷He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. ¹⁸No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. ¹⁹Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. John 14:15-18 (NLT)

You know Him because He lives with you now. What an interesting phrase. The “Him” Jesus was referring to was the Holy Spirit and at the same time Himself! Jesus was living with them at that time and His Spirit would be in them later.

What an incredible passage showing the relationship of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, separate and yet One.

The importance for you and me today is that Jesus is with us now. He may have been crucified almost 2000 years ago, yet His Spirit lives within those who have accepted His sacrifice for them. We are not alone! Jesus is here.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

LISTEN

There was a commercial on the TV several years ago for an investment company called E. F. Hutton. The company is still remembered for its catchy advertising slogan: "When E. F. Hutton talks, people listen." The commercials would show people stopping whatever they were doing the moment someone would casually say, "Well, my broker is E. F. Hutton, and he says..."

The question I put before you today is, “Do you respond the same way when God speaks?” In Second Kings chapter nine, Elisha sends a young prophet to Jehu to anoint him King. Elisha instructed the young man to “open the door and run for your life (NLT)” after he had given God’s message to Jehu.

¹¹Now Jehu came out to the servants of his master, and one said to him, “Is all well? Why did this mad fellow come to you?” And he said to them, “You know very well the man and his talk.” ¹²They said, “It is a lie, tell us now.” And he said, “Thus and thus he said to me, ‘Thus says the LORD, “I have anointed you king over Israel.”’” ¹³Then they hurried and each man took his garment and placed it under him on the bare steps, and blew the trumpet, saying, “Jehu is king!” 2 Kings 9:11 - 13 (NASB)

They didn’t know this prophet. They didn’t ask for a resume or references. All it took for them to believe was “Thus says the LORD.”

When we hear Gods Word preached from the pulpit in our churches, do we respond in the same way? Do we recognize the importance of God speaking to us or do we brush it aside as the mutterings of a “mad man”?

When God speaks, do you listen? When God commands, do you obey? When God reveals, do you respond? When God leads, do you follow? When God guides, do you go?

It worked for E.F. Hutton, but does it work in your life with God?

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

FOOD

As a culture, we are obsessed with food. We here in the United States are surrounded by our choice of food from around the world in restaurants and, if not available there, we have shows on television to teach us how to make these foods!

The price of our obsession is that we have the highest rate of obesity of any other country and it is worse now than it has ever been. On the other hand, we do need food to nourish our bodies and sustain us.

In the Gospel of John, we read an interesting story about food…

Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” ³²But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” ³³So the disciples were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” ³⁴Jesus said^* to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work. John 4:31 - 34 (NASB)

Jesus is saying that the thing that nourishes me and sustains me best is doing what God the Father wants. It wasn’t a burger and fries but doing God’s will.

Can you imagine if we were as dedicated to doing God’s will as we are to making sure we eat at least three meals a day? And, of course, it’s not just the eating it’s the preparation. There is the shopping for ingredients and the preparing of the meal before it can be eaten. It takes a lot of time and thought. Even if you are more prone to going out to eat, whether fast food or a sit down place, you still have to expend time, energy and finances for that to take place.

Let’s purpose to put as much time and thought into doing God’s will as we do feeding ourselves earthly foods…

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD