Pursuing His Perfection - Finding Greatness
The Chosen Church
Speaker: Elder Elliot Dangerfield
Title: Pursuing His Perfection — Finding Greatness
Scripture: Philippians 3:12-15 (Amp)
Philippians 3:12-15 (Amp)
12 Not that I have already obtained it [this goal of being Christlike] or have already been made perfect, but I actively press on so that I may take hold of that [perfection] for which Christ Jesus took hold of me and made me His own.
13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal to win the [heavenly] prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
15 All of us who are mature [pursuing spiritual perfection] should have this attitude. And if in any respect you have a different attitude, that too God will make clear to you.
Philippians 3:12-15 Teaches us to pursue Christlike perfection.
Note: Instead of demanding flawless performance, he redefines biblical perfection as a spiritual maturity and relentless daily pursuit of Christ.
Roman’s 3:23 (ESV)
23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
James 3:2 (ESV)
2 “For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.”
In Philippians 3 Paul admits he’s not flawless.
FYI: NO one is flawless.
This scripture encourages us to learn from the past, leave failures at the Cross and focus on daily spiritual growth.
Backdrop of Paul:
Food for thought: How many of us will continue to praise God while we’re shackled? How many of us will praise God while we’re sitting in a jail cell? How many of us will continue to praise God when we are not at our best? How many people will say for God I live, for God I die. No matter what I go through???
Paul was in prison telling us to rejoice.
He was in prison when he said rejoice.
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Ephesians 3:1 (ESV)
Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.
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Paul was in a prison cell saying it’s no trouble for him:
To tell us to rejoice
To tell us to get up on our feet and praise the Lord. He knew that God was going to do it.
He knew God was at the forefront of it all.
He knew that God was fighting for him…through the jail process.
He knew God was going to do it because God did it before!! #faith.
Matthew 5:48 (ESV)
48 “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
⬇️⬇️
Perfect in Hebrew means: Tamim — Complete, Whole, spiritual mature or fully accomplishing the purpose of which we were designed.
Same in Greek.
Perfect in Greek means: Teleios — Complete, Whole, spiritual mature or fully accomplishing the purpose of which we were designed. Same in Hebrew.
In our natural state, we cannot be perfect. We were born into sin and shaped into iniquity.
Psalm 51:5-10. We were born flawed.
NO man is perfect but thru God we will be perfect!!
When we clothe ourselves in God’s righteousness, we will become more spiritually nurture. In other words…We will GROW UP!!
Message: God calls us to complete devotion. He is not looking for perfection and performance but maturity in pursuit of Him.
There is NOway to be Jesus perfect but we can be spiritually mature.
We can be spiritually mature in:
Our conversations.
In our interactions with one another.
In our giving.
In our prayer life.
In our fasting.
And everything that we do.
Pursuing Christ’s perfection involves actively leaning into God‘s grace and allowing His Holy Spirit to transforms us. Our confidence should never rest in our current level of perfection. It should rest in the finished, perfect work of Christ.
We have to continue to put our hand to the plow.
We have to continue to do with the things that God said.
We have to continue to Work towards the GREATNESS of God.
We have to continue to make disciples as the great commission told us to do. As Pastor Craig said, Become ONE, make ONE.
We have to continue towards the mark. We have to continue to move and press forward.
We CANNOT afford to become stagnant, stale or stinky.
Three key aspects to the PERFECTION of CHRIST.
Spiritual growth:
Lifelong journey towards maturity, faith, love and obedience to God.
Salvation happens for a moment BUT sanctification happens over a lifetime. This happens when you are putting your hands to the plow and doing what God asks you to do.
You are lifting up people.
You are over your family.
You encourage others even when you are at your worst you are still doing God’s lifelong work.
When Paul was at his worst moments, he still was lifting up God’s people. He still was ushering in the spirit of God. He still kept sending out letters to churches to show them how to do Christ Work. In Paul’s broken state, He still kept doing what God asked him to do.
Some would want to give up when they go through the littlest of things
Holiness:
Reflecting God’s character and striving moral excellence.
Faith:
Faith in God gets us through it all. Faith in God’s Work. Faith in what He said, He would do no matter what we go through. Trusting jn Christ’s sacrifice and righteousness for salvation.
Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)
11 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
REAL Questions to Ask Yourself:
Can you continue to do what God asks of you in your broken state?
Can you continue to worship God even when you’re not seeing the things that you’re praying for?
Can you continue to lift up someone else even though you’re going through things yourself?
Can you get down on your knees and pray to God, even though you’re sitting on unanswered prayers.
Can you continue to worship God when you don’t see a way out.
Can you continue to pursue God when you don’t see or feel Him?
Will you continue to pursue Him no matter the what, when, how, or who????
Can you continue to pursue Christ and look for His perfection and find greatness in Him?? CAN YOU?????
Point to Ponder: Sanctification happens when you take your hands to the plow.
Question: Are you practicing what you preach? Are you using your gifts to edify the church? Are you presenting Christ to those that don’t know Him?
God will NEVER leave or forsake us. Keep trusting God. Hebrews 13:5 (ESV)
By pursuing GOD, we will grow stronger and get better at being a stronger and better disciple for Jesus Christ. We should pursue perfection (Jesus) daily.
Hebrew 12: 1-2 Jesus is the Author and finisher of our faith.
Things we should BE and DO:
Keep conditioning your faith. Example used (How football players condition at practice to get better). They gain discipline, they gain structure, they gain strength, and they get better at the game. GOOD STUFF ??????.
We should REMAIN in prayer.
We should KEEP our EYES on JESUS.
We should let Christ BE seen through us. READ John 3:30-35!
We should work to make disciples.
We should be encouraging others, even though we may need encouragement ourselves.
We should be given to needy.
We should be spreading the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We should fast as Christlike people.
We should live a trusting God life.
Because we are HUMANS, WE will:
We will fall short sometimes.
We will make mistakes sometimes.
We will get angry sometimes.
We will get anxious sometimes.
We will get worried sometimes.
We will have shaky relationships at times.
We will be tired and tested at times.
HOWEVER
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
Through prayer, through fasting, through continuously seeking God’s will for our lives, through leaning not to our own understanding trusting God, HE will never leave us NOR forsake us.
WITH this FAITH
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We begin to speak into our relationships.
We begin for those that hurt us. We began to pray for those who talk about us.
We begin to pray and let go and let God.
We begin to find our greatness in God.
His PERFECTION is NOT that we NEVER failed, it’s because His perfection comes with:
Becoming more loving.
Becoming more patient.
Becoming more forgiving.
Becoming more Christlike.
We cannot be perfect as Christ because we were born into sin. Humans have a sinful nature.
WHAT WE CAN DO IS:
We can become mature in our walk with Christ.
With the maturity comes discipline.
Maturity and discipline become great greatness in the Kingdom of God.
Matthew 18:1-5 (ESV) TRUE greatness is CHILD-LIKE HUMILITY.
Who Is the Greatest?
1 “At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them
3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me,”
They prioritize service over loneliness.
Overturning convictional worldly Views of power.
When we find greatness…it’s not like we figured it all out or that we are overly mature in our walk with Christ that no matter what we grow through or what we accomplish
God will still get the glory because in the pursuit we found:
Steadfastness
Perseverance
The courage to move forward despite what it looks like.
We are NOT concerned about who’s looking at us. We are pushing forward towards the mark in Jesus Christ.
We are not concerned about the negativity of the nay sayers. We focus on God.
We are focus on God and His people.
We are focused on God’s kingdom and all the things he was focused on while He was on earth.
Despite the naysayers…..purse God
Through the struggles……pursue God
Though they slay us…..pursue God
No matter what they post…pursue God
Continue to lift His name
Continue to give God the Glory
Continue to purse God will your messy past.
You cannot serve two masters! Pursue Christ!!
We pursue Christ because HE first pursued me.
When we don’t pursue Christ. We continue in our same mess.
Keep pursuing Christ!
Keep pursuing His Word!
Keep hiding God’s Word in your heart!
Keep pursuing!
Keep walking!
Keep moving!
Keep knowing!
Keep praying!
Keep pursuing His glory!
Keep pursuing Christ and NOT your own strength!
Keep selecting God!
Keep pursing God’s perfection!
Keep marching!
Keep taking one step after another!
Keep pursuing Christ because He first pursued us!
When you pursue God, things will happen in your life that you won’t expect.
Don’t give up on God….He won’t give up on you!!
Phil 1:6 (ESV) Philippians 1:6
6 “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
If you faint NOT, God is going to do it for you.
Stay connected to God!!!!
Peter was a well-respected person in the Bible.
Peter denied Jesus 3 times…BUT He restored by Christ. Every failure, He kept pursuing Christ.
PS: Don’t let your failures take you out!!
Take Note: it doesn’t matter what you did, when you did it, how you did it or why you did it. God is in the restoring business, be restored in Jesus name!! Let God restore you back to Him. Flaws and all, He’s got you!!!! Stay under the (Will) of God and walk out His PERFECTION!!
Questions:
Will you lift your hands when there’s nothing to lift your hands about?
Will you praise him when you don’t have a praise report at the time?
Will you continue to press towards the mark of Jesus Christ, which is the higher calling?
Continue to lift God up, no matter what.
The ability to lift our hands to God despite what our finances look like, what our current issues look like, despite what we’re dealing with, despite what the naysayers have to say, we found greatness in God’s perfection!! that’s it!!!!
There is:
Stuff that you may be going through BUT I’m still pursuing.
Stuff that you are dealing with...but KEEP pursuing.
Stuff that that you may be struggling with BUT keep pursuing.
Ups and downs BUT keep pursuing.
People talking behind your back but KEEP pursuing.
People that didn’t get the promotion BUT keep pursuing.
Someone who did NOT get the offer, KEEP pursuing.
Someone who was betrayed, KEEP pursuing.
Listen…though they slay me, I will continue to pursue His PERFECTION.
No MATTER what:
I go (grow) through….
What they try to throw at me.
No matter what they say about me.
No matter what I go through…
No matter what they “TRY” to say about me.
No matter what they post on social media.
No matter how they drag my name through the mud.
What they TRY to say about me (LET THEM TALK—LET THEM BE).
No matter what…..PURSUE HIS GREATNESS.
No matter what they say about you….wipe it away.
No matter how they think about you….put “IT” aside.
I will you continue to come to the alter!
I will continue to lift up my hands and praise the Lord!
I will continue to you praise Him.
I will continue to give Him the glory.
Will you trust to lift God up and trust Him???
WHAT I KNOW IS: I know I am not perfect. I just out love and trusting God.
WHAT YOU CANNOT DO IN GOD’S KINGDOM IS: Serve two masters.
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Matthew 6:24 (ESV)
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
Message: it does not matter what you did in your past, the only thing that matters is are you pursuing Christ Jesus??? Am I pursuing His word? Am I hiding His word in my heart? Am I taking it with me every day? We have to pursue Christ because He first pursued us. We love GOD because He first LOVED us. God brought us out of darkness to His marvelous LIGHT!!
When we don’t pursue God, we continue in our same mess. We do the same thing over again. I-N-S-A-N-I-T-Y.
When you PURSUE His glory, ANYTHING can happen!!
PURSUE God first and He will do it!! Not man! BUT GOD!!!
What I know is:
Who I keep my trust in…
Who I kept pursuing…
Who I didn’t give up on….
He will DO it for you……NOT MAN!
This reminds me of Psalm 8:4
“What is man that You think of him,
And a son of man that You are concerned about him?”
Failure after failure….KEEP pursing Christ!
Disappointment after disappointment….KEEP pursuing!!
After every lapse and judgement….KEEP pursuing!!!
After every doubt….Keep pursuing!!!
After every mistake….KEEP pursuing!!
After every regret…..KEEP pursuing!!
Moment after moment….KEEP pursuing!!
After everything you did…KEEP pursuing HIS grace!!
If you fall 7 times….get up 8 times. KEEP pursuing!!
KEEP pursuing Christ because HE will NEVER leave you or forsake you. Joshua 1:5??
James 1:12 (ESV)
12 “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”
KNOW that you WILL be tempted, tested and tried BUT KEEP pursuing!!
When you are tried is when your best will come out.
When you are tried, you find out what you are really made of.
When you are tried, you find out how much more you need to pray to God.
When you are tried, you find out how much more you need to be on your knees.
When you are tried, you find out how much more you need to be in your Word.
When you are tried, you find out how much more you need to be around like minded people, period who will life you up and not tear/wear you down. People who wish you well in all aspects of life. People who pursue God with you.
When two or three of gathered in my name…I’m in the midst!! Matthew 18:20. He’s in their presence!!
Galatians 6:9 (NASB)
9 “Let’s not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not become weary.”
In DUE season……. Faint not! You WILL reap your harvest!!!
Those that are still waiting……in DUE season!!
Those that are getting impatient……in DUE season!!
Those whose bank accounts are a little low……in DUE season!!
Those that are waiting for a job/promotion……in DUE season!!
These will come to past because you faint NOT……in DUE season!!
Don’t stop pursuing because you stumbled. We will stumble!! KEEP pursuing!!!
You may statistically fail BUT GOD!!!
NO matter what you GO through KEEP pursuing.
No matter what people say about you….it's between you and GOD!! KEEP pursuing.
Do not stop pursuing because you are tired.
Do not stop pursing because the ride is difficult.
Every prayer, every act of obedience, every sacrifice, every tear, every step of faith is moving you closer to the image of Christ!!
In the PURSUIT of His PERFECTION….WE find GREATNESS!!
Speaker: Elder Elliot Dangerfield
Title: Pursuing His Perfection — Finding Greatness
Scripture: Philippians 3:12-15 (Amp)
Philippians 3:12-15 (Amp)
12 Not that I have already obtained it [this goal of being Christlike] or have already been made perfect, but I actively press on so that I may take hold of that [perfection] for which Christ Jesus took hold of me and made me His own.
13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal to win the [heavenly] prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
15 All of us who are mature [pursuing spiritual perfection] should have this attitude. And if in any respect you have a different attitude, that too God will make clear to you.
Philippians 3:12-15 Teaches us to pursue Christlike perfection.
Note: Instead of demanding flawless performance, he redefines biblical perfection as a spiritual maturity and relentless daily pursuit of Christ.
Roman’s 3:23 (ESV)
23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
James 3:2 (ESV)
2 “For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.”
In Philippians 3 Paul admits he’s not flawless.
FYI: NO one is flawless.
This scripture encourages us to learn from the past, leave failures at the Cross and focus on daily spiritual growth.
Backdrop of Paul:
Paul is writing from prison, to the church. He preached God’s Word from a prison cell.
Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians.
Paul was delivered from persecuting Christians.
Before accepting Christ. He had clout in the world.
He was converted from Saul to Paul.
After his conversion, he still was not perfect and still hadn’t arrived.
He was doing what God asked Him. He was doing God’s Work but he was not perfect.
He was obedient, but still not perfect.
He kept His eyes on Christ. Pursuing His PERFECTION.
Paul greatness was NOT that he arrived. His GREATNESS is that he NEVER stopped pursuing GOD.
Paul did not let his current situation dictate his attitude towards God.
Paul did not let it affect his walk or his assignment in Christ.
Paul did not stop believing in God because he was in a cell.
Paul didn’t stop believing in God because people were talking about him.
Paul did not stop believing in the Word of God because he could not go out and touch the people or be with the people.
Paul’s freedom was taken from him and he still chose to preach to the people. He was chained but spiritually free to preach the Word of God! No muzzle can stop a true follower of Christ from preaching the gospel.
Paul kept believing in God and encouraging people.
Food for thought: How many of us will continue to praise God while we’re shackled? How many of us will praise God while we’re sitting in a jail cell? How many of us will continue to praise God when we are not at our best? How many people will say for God I live, for God I die. No matter what I go through???
Paul was in prison telling us to rejoice.
He was in prison when he said rejoice.
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Ephesians 3:1 (ESV)
Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.
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Paul was in a prison cell saying it’s no trouble for him:
To tell us to rejoice
To tell us to get up on our feet and praise the Lord. He knew that God was going to do it.
He knew God was at the forefront of it all.
He knew that God was fighting for him…through the jail process.
He knew God was going to do it because God did it before!! #faith.
Matthew 5:48 (ESV)
48 “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
⬇️⬇️
Perfect in Hebrew means: Tamim — Complete, Whole, spiritual mature or fully accomplishing the purpose of which we were designed.
Same in Greek.
Perfect in Greek means: Teleios — Complete, Whole, spiritual mature or fully accomplishing the purpose of which we were designed. Same in Hebrew.
In our natural state, we cannot be perfect. We were born into sin and shaped into iniquity.
Psalm 51:5-10. We were born flawed.
NO man is perfect but thru God we will be perfect!!
When we clothe ourselves in God’s righteousness, we will become more spiritually nurture. In other words…We will GROW UP!!
Message: God calls us to complete devotion. He is not looking for perfection and performance but maturity in pursuit of Him.
There is NOway to be Jesus perfect but we can be spiritually mature.
We can be spiritually mature in:
Our conversations.
In our interactions with one another.
In our giving.
In our prayer life.
In our fasting.
And everything that we do.
Pursuing Christ’s perfection involves actively leaning into God‘s grace and allowing His Holy Spirit to transforms us. Our confidence should never rest in our current level of perfection. It should rest in the finished, perfect work of Christ.
We have to continue to put our hand to the plow.
We have to continue to do with the things that God said.
We have to continue to Work towards the GREATNESS of God.
We have to continue to make disciples as the great commission told us to do. As Pastor Craig said, Become ONE, make ONE.
We have to continue towards the mark. We have to continue to move and press forward.
We CANNOT afford to become stagnant, stale or stinky.
Three key aspects to the PERFECTION of CHRIST.
Spiritual growth:
Lifelong journey towards maturity, faith, love and obedience to God.
Salvation happens for a moment BUT sanctification happens over a lifetime. This happens when you are putting your hands to the plow and doing what God asks you to do.
You are lifting up people.
You are over your family.
You encourage others even when you are at your worst you are still doing God’s lifelong work.
When Paul was at his worst moments, he still was lifting up God’s people. He still was ushering in the spirit of God. He still kept sending out letters to churches to show them how to do Christ Work. In Paul’s broken state, He still kept doing what God asked him to do.
Some would want to give up when they go through the littlest of things
Holiness:
Reflecting God’s character and striving moral excellence.
Faith:
Faith in God gets us through it all. Faith in God’s Work. Faith in what He said, He would do no matter what we go through. Trusting jn Christ’s sacrifice and righteousness for salvation.
Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)
11 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
REAL Questions to Ask Yourself:
Can you continue to do what God asks of you in your broken state?
Can you continue to worship God even when you’re not seeing the things that you’re praying for?
Can you continue to lift up someone else even though you’re going through things yourself?
Can you get down on your knees and pray to God, even though you’re sitting on unanswered prayers.
Can you continue to worship God when you don’t see a way out.
Can you continue to pursue God when you don’t see or feel Him?
Will you continue to pursue Him no matter the what, when, how, or who????
Can you continue to pursue Christ and look for His perfection and find greatness in Him?? CAN YOU?????
Point to Ponder: Sanctification happens when you take your hands to the plow.
Question: Are you practicing what you preach? Are you using your gifts to edify the church? Are you presenting Christ to those that don’t know Him?
God will NEVER leave or forsake us. Keep trusting God. Hebrews 13:5 (ESV)
By pursuing GOD, we will grow stronger and get better at being a stronger and better disciple for Jesus Christ. We should pursue perfection (Jesus) daily.
Hebrew 12: 1-2 Jesus is the Author and finisher of our faith.
Things we should BE and DO:
Keep conditioning your faith. Example used (How football players condition at practice to get better). They gain discipline, they gain structure, they gain strength, and they get better at the game. GOOD STUFF ??????.
We should REMAIN in prayer.
We should KEEP our EYES on JESUS.
We should let Christ BE seen through us. READ John 3:30-35!
We should work to make disciples.
We should be encouraging others, even though we may need encouragement ourselves.
We should be given to needy.
We should be spreading the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We should fast as Christlike people.
We should live a trusting God life.
Because we are HUMANS, WE will:
We will fall short sometimes.
We will make mistakes sometimes.
We will get angry sometimes.
We will get anxious sometimes.
We will get worried sometimes.
We will have shaky relationships at times.
We will be tired and tested at times.
HOWEVER
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
Through prayer, through fasting, through continuously seeking God’s will for our lives, through leaning not to our own understanding trusting God, HE will never leave us NOR forsake us.
WITH this FAITH
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
We begin to speak into our relationships.
We begin for those that hurt us. We began to pray for those who talk about us.
We begin to pray and let go and let God.
We begin to find our greatness in God.
His PERFECTION is NOT that we NEVER failed, it’s because His perfection comes with:
Becoming more loving.
Becoming more patient.
Becoming more forgiving.
Becoming more Christlike.
We cannot be perfect as Christ because we were born into sin. Humans have a sinful nature.
WHAT WE CAN DO IS:
We can become mature in our walk with Christ.
With the maturity comes discipline.
Maturity and discipline become great greatness in the Kingdom of God.
Matthew 18:1-5 (ESV) TRUE greatness is CHILD-LIKE HUMILITY.
Who Is the Greatest?
1 “At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them
3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me,”
They prioritize service over loneliness.
Overturning convictional worldly Views of power.
When we find greatness…it’s not like we figured it all out or that we are overly mature in our walk with Christ that no matter what we grow through or what we accomplish
God will still get the glory because in the pursuit we found:
Steadfastness
Perseverance
The courage to move forward despite what it looks like.
We are NOT concerned about who’s looking at us. We are pushing forward towards the mark in Jesus Christ.
We are not concerned about the negativity of the nay sayers. We focus on God.
We are focus on God and His people.
We are focused on God’s kingdom and all the things he was focused on while He was on earth.
Despite the naysayers…..purse God
Through the struggles……pursue God
Though they slay us…..pursue God
No matter what they post…pursue God
Continue to lift His name
Continue to give God the Glory
Continue to purse God will your messy past.
You cannot serve two masters! Pursue Christ!!
We pursue Christ because HE first pursued me.
When we don’t pursue Christ. We continue in our same mess.
Keep pursuing Christ!
Keep pursuing His Word!
Keep hiding God’s Word in your heart!
Keep pursuing!
Keep walking!
Keep moving!
Keep knowing!
Keep praying!
Keep pursuing His glory!
Keep pursuing Christ and NOT your own strength!
Keep selecting God!
Keep pursing God’s perfection!
Keep marching!
Keep taking one step after another!
Keep pursuing Christ because He first pursued us!
When you pursue God, things will happen in your life that you won’t expect.
Don’t give up on God….He won’t give up on you!!
Phil 1:6 (ESV) Philippians 1:6
6 “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
If you faint NOT, God is going to do it for you.
Stay connected to God!!!!
Peter was a well-respected person in the Bible.
Peter denied Jesus 3 times…BUT He restored by Christ. Every failure, He kept pursuing Christ.
PS: Don’t let your failures take you out!!
Take Note: it doesn’t matter what you did, when you did it, how you did it or why you did it. God is in the restoring business, be restored in Jesus name!! Let God restore you back to Him. Flaws and all, He’s got you!!!! Stay under the (Will) of God and walk out His PERFECTION!!
Questions:
Will you lift your hands when there’s nothing to lift your hands about?
Will you praise him when you don’t have a praise report at the time?
Will you continue to press towards the mark of Jesus Christ, which is the higher calling?
Continue to lift God up, no matter what.
The ability to lift our hands to God despite what our finances look like, what our current issues look like, despite what we’re dealing with, despite what the naysayers have to say, we found greatness in God’s perfection!! that’s it!!!!
There is:
Stuff that you may be going through BUT I’m still pursuing.
Stuff that you are dealing with...but KEEP pursuing.
Stuff that that you may be struggling with BUT keep pursuing.
Ups and downs BUT keep pursuing.
People talking behind your back but KEEP pursuing.
People that didn’t get the promotion BUT keep pursuing.
Someone who did NOT get the offer, KEEP pursuing.
Someone who was betrayed, KEEP pursuing.
Listen…though they slay me, I will continue to pursue His PERFECTION.
No MATTER what:
I go (grow) through….
What they try to throw at me.
No matter what they say about me.
No matter what I go through…
No matter what they “TRY” to say about me.
No matter what they post on social media.
No matter how they drag my name through the mud.
What they TRY to say about me (LET THEM TALK—LET THEM BE).
No matter what…..PURSUE HIS GREATNESS.
No matter what they say about you….wipe it away.
No matter how they think about you….put “IT” aside.
I will you continue to come to the alter!
I will continue to lift up my hands and praise the Lord!
I will continue to you praise Him.
I will continue to give Him the glory.
Will you trust to lift God up and trust Him???
WHAT I KNOW IS: I know I am not perfect. I just out love and trusting God.
WHAT YOU CANNOT DO IN GOD’S KINGDOM IS: Serve two masters.
⬇️
Matthew 6:24 (ESV)
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
Message: it does not matter what you did in your past, the only thing that matters is are you pursuing Christ Jesus??? Am I pursuing His word? Am I hiding His word in my heart? Am I taking it with me every day? We have to pursue Christ because He first pursued us. We love GOD because He first LOVED us. God brought us out of darkness to His marvelous LIGHT!!
When we don’t pursue God, we continue in our same mess. We do the same thing over again. I-N-S-A-N-I-T-Y.
When you PURSUE His glory, ANYTHING can happen!!
PURSUE God first and He will do it!! Not man! BUT GOD!!!
What I know is:
Who I keep my trust in…
Who I kept pursuing…
Who I didn’t give up on….
He will DO it for you……NOT MAN!
This reminds me of Psalm 8:4
“What is man that You think of him,
And a son of man that You are concerned about him?”
Failure after failure….KEEP pursing Christ!
Disappointment after disappointment….KEEP pursuing!!
After every lapse and judgement….KEEP pursuing!!!
After every doubt….Keep pursuing!!!
After every mistake….KEEP pursuing!!
After every regret…..KEEP pursuing!!
Moment after moment….KEEP pursuing!!
After everything you did…KEEP pursuing HIS grace!!
If you fall 7 times….get up 8 times. KEEP pursuing!!
KEEP pursuing Christ because HE will NEVER leave you or forsake you. Joshua 1:5??
James 1:12 (ESV)
12 “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”
KNOW that you WILL be tempted, tested and tried BUT KEEP pursuing!!
When you are tried is when your best will come out.
When you are tried, you find out what you are really made of.
When you are tried, you find out how much more you need to pray to God.
When you are tried, you find out how much more you need to be on your knees.
When you are tried, you find out how much more you need to be in your Word.
When you are tried, you find out how much more you need to be around like minded people, period who will life you up and not tear/wear you down. People who wish you well in all aspects of life. People who pursue God with you.
When two or three of gathered in my name…I’m in the midst!! Matthew 18:20. He’s in their presence!!
Galatians 6:9 (NASB)
9 “Let’s not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not become weary.”
In DUE season……. Faint not! You WILL reap your harvest!!!
Those that are still waiting……in DUE season!!
Those that are getting impatient……in DUE season!!
Those whose bank accounts are a little low……in DUE season!!
Those that are waiting for a job/promotion……in DUE season!!
These will come to past because you faint NOT……in DUE season!!
Don’t stop pursuing because you stumbled. We will stumble!! KEEP pursuing!!!
You may statistically fail BUT GOD!!!
NO matter what you GO through KEEP pursuing.
No matter what people say about you….it's between you and GOD!! KEEP pursuing.
Do not stop pursuing because you are tired.
Do not stop pursing because the ride is difficult.
Every prayer, every act of obedience, every sacrifice, every tear, every step of faith is moving you closer to the image of Christ!!
In the PURSUIT of His PERFECTION….WE find GREATNESS!!
Recent
The Necessary Struggle: Part I (Sunday Sermon Notes)
July 4th, 2026
The Necessary Struggle: Part II (Sunday Sermon Notes)
July 4th, 2026
Pursuing His Perfection - Finding Greatness
July 4th, 2026
Group Effort: Part I (Sunday Sermon Notes)
May 29th, 2026
Group Effort: Part II (Sunday Sermon Notes)
May 29th, 2026
Archive
2026
February
March
Appetite Part 1 (Sunday Sermon Notes)Appetite Part 2 (Sunday Sermon Notes)Appetite: Satisfied Part 1 (Sunday Sermon Notes)Appetite: Satisfied Part 2 (Sunday Sermon Notes)Forgive and ForgeAppetite: Stay Hungry But Watch Your Weight Part 1 (Sermon Notes)Appetite: Stay Hungry But Watch Your Weight Part 2 (Sermon Notes)
April
The Trial of Perfection Part 1 (Sunday Sermon Notes)The Trial of Perfection Part 2 (Sunday Sermon Notes)You Gotta Die: Part 1 (Sunday Sermon Notes)You Gotta Die: Part 2 (Sunday Sermon Notes) CopyAppetite: Holy Digest Part 2 (Sunday Sermon Notes) Appetite: Holy Digest Part 1 (Sunday Sermon Notes)Appetite: Full of It Part 2 (Sunday Sermon Notes)Appetite: Full of It Part I (Sunday Sermon Notes)
May
Appetite: I'm Not Full Yet Part 1 (Sunday Sermon Notes)Appetite: I'm Not Full Yet Part 2 (Sunday Sermon Notes)Don't Get It Twisted: Part I (Sunday Sermon Notes)Don't Get It Twisted: Part II (Sunday Sermon Notes)One More Push: Part I (Sunday Sermon Notes)One More Push: Part II (Sunday Sermon Notes)Silence the Noise: Part I (Sunday Sermon Notes)Silence the Noise: Part II (Sunday Sermon Notes)Group Effort: Part I (Sunday Sermon Notes)Group Effort: Part II (Sunday Sermon Notes)
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