Welcome to Refinery Life Australia.
Today we our series titled The Spiritual Struggle for the Renewal of the Church.
We need to cooperate with the Father God, who would prune out those branches, attitudes, ambitions, and actions that are counter productive, so that the church might bear much fruit.
Today we are talking about Renew My Vision.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, help us see the beauty of Your love for us and for Your world.
Help us see this worlds need for the message of your grace through Jesus Christ.
Help us see where we fit into Your plan for communicating the way of
salvation to those around us and to those in other parts of the world.
Thank you for giving us that which we can use to proclaim the good news to the ends of the earth.
Accept these tithes and offerings as expressions of our desire to worship You in spirit and in truth.
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen.
Text
Romans 12:2 AMP
Dedicated Service
2 And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].
Matthew 9:36 AMP
36 When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion and pity for them, because they were dispirited and distressed, like sheep without a shepherd.
Scripture Reading
Romans 12:1-2 AMP
Dedicated Service
12 Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship.
2 And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].
Matthew 9:36-38 AMP
36 When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion and pity for them, because they were dispirited and distressed, like sheep without a shepherd.
37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is [indeed] plentiful, but the workers are few.
38 So pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”
Luke 7:13 AMP
13 When the Lord saw her, He felt [great] compassion for her, and said to her, “Do not weep.”
Luke 10:33 AMP
33 But a Samaritan (foreigner), who was traveling, came upon him; and when he saw him, he was deeply moved with compassion [for him],
Luke 15:20 AMP
20 So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
Introduction
There was something special about Jesus’ power to see.
The Greek word for “see” has something special about it.
It means not just seeing something as an object, but seeing with understanding.
It means to see through something, to see something in its true condition.
So when Jesus saw people, He saw them as they really were.
If the church is to be renewed, we must see the people around us with the eyes of Jesus.
A prayer for renewal is, “Lord, renew my vision!”
Renewing our vision means to do the following.
- Open our eyes to see people in their need.
If anyone knew the true condition of people, it was Jesus.
He could see into the heart and discern whether a person had faith (Mark 2:5).
John 2:24 says, “He knew all men.”
Matthew 9:36-38 pictures how Jesus saw the multitudes.
“They fainted” it says in verse 36.
They were tired and weary with life.
They needed spiritual rest.
They “were scattered abroad.”
This expression’s meaning is to “throw, cast, or hurl.”
People are thrown around by life’s circumstances, and they are without leadership and protection of a shepherd.
Multitudes have no God, no faith, no love, no home.
They are without roots, and have no hope.
Jesus also saw people like a ripe harvest in verse 37.
There is always someone ready for the gospel of hope in Christ.
When we open our eyes to other’s needs, we see people spiritually lost and critically hurting with all types of needs.
To adequately fulfil God’s purpose, we must also see life in its true condition.
2. Open our hearts to care.
Seeing means more than just being aware of spiritual needs, it means responding to those needs.
It means loving and receiving people.
Compassion is a deeply moving attitude.
Matthew 9:36 says, “Jesus was moved with compassion.”
Compassion represents love for someone so deep that we involve ourselves until the hurt is healed.
The good Samaritan is a great illustration of compassion. (Luke 10:25-37)
3. Open our souls to prayer.
There is no true vision without prayer.
Jesus said in Matthew 9:38, “So pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”
Labourers for the harvest always come in answer to prayer.
The Holy Spirit, in the atmosphere of prayer, calls people to special ministries (Acts 13:2-3).
We need to pray for labourers who minister to needs as well as for the
people with those needs.
4. Open our lives to go.
A true vision means that we make ourselves available to become involved in the needs of people.
How do we do this?
We acknowledge our place in the body of Christ to be His servant to minister to others.
We open our lives to touch people with our love, words, and genuine help.
Also, we open our lives to tell people the good news of salvation.
We teach them the Word of God.
We minister to their total needs.
One man, after sharing Christ with others, was heard to say to his pastor, “I didn’t know there were needs like this. It opened my eyes to why we need to go.”
How can you respond specifically?
- Respond to the opportunities you have personally, wherever they are.
Opportunities to help others may arise in your family, in your neighbourhood, at your workplace or school, in the church, or among strangers.
B. Respond to opportunities your church offers you.
C. Don’t wait for a giant step.
Just take the first step, however insignificant and unseen it may be.
Conclusion.
I heard a story of a church that got a call from a desperate person, saying, “My father has cancer and is dying, Would you send someone to see him?”
Someone from the church went and discovered the person dying was not a Christian.
As a result of the visit, he was saved!
And before the visit was over, five other members of the family reviewed Christ into their lives.
How awesome is that!
Without waiting for someone else to respond, let us pray, “Lord, renew my vision!”
Until next time
Stay in the Blessings
I really want to encourage you to be diligent with your Bible study time, because God has so much more for us than we can get from just going to church once or twice a week and hearing someone else talk about the Word.
When you spend time with God, your life will change in amazing ways, because God is a Redeemer.
Theres nothing thats too hard for Him, and He can make you whole, spirit, soul and body!
You’re important to God, and you’re important to us at www.refinerylife.org
When it comes to prayer, we believe that God wants to meet your needs and reveal His promises to you.
So whatever you’re concerned about and need prayer for we want to be here for you! Or even if you just want to say Hi, you can contact us
2021 IS A YEAR OF REFORMATION
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