Rescue

Speaker: Merle Mees

 Hmm..What is wrong with the world?

A lot. A whole lot. 

Is it the devil? Is it us? Is it others? What is it?

Let’s take a step back. 

If we are the problem, is it a heart issue? A mind issue? Or is it just the nature of our being? 

"The heart is the spring where life flows from.”

If our hearts are no good, then we are no good, because our heart is what makes us..us. 

Do we have pure hearts? Of course, we aren’t perfect,but a pure heart is what we should ultimately be striving for. 

A pure heart has one God and no idols. A pure heart does not speak poorly. 

But without God, our hearts are not pure at all. Our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked when we do not have God. 

So you see, there’s a lot of things wrong with the world. Our hearts, our minds, the devil, sin, crime, brokenness, deceit…and the list goes on and on and on. If we view humans as the problem with the world, then how do we fix ourselves?

But there’s good news…Great news!

…Are you ready??

JESUS IS THE RESCUE. 

Yes, that’s right. 

Jesus rescued us when he gave his life for us on the cross, and Jesus continues to rescue us every single day of our lives if we seek him through our troubles and problems. 

“You’re blessed when you get your inside world-your mind and heart-put right. Then you see God in the outside world.” Matthew 5:8

And when we live knowing that Jesus is our rescue, our constant, and our everything, then we are able to live completely for him, striving after a godly life, and having the heart and eyes of Christ. 

So how can we show the world that Jesus is the rescue? We are the body! We, living with Christ through us, are the rescue team!!

But how do we rescue? We must make a difference, and here’s some ways how:

1. Get right with your faith.
2. Stop judging, and accept people-sins are like skyscrapers. From the ground where we stand, all sins look different. But from the sky where God stands, they all look the same. 
3. LOVE EVERYONE-everyone burns differently. Everyone has different convictions. 
4. Representing Christ in your actions and words- If you don’t represent Christ, then how are you any different than the next person?
5. Being open to other people’s opinions
6. being kind
7. not being forceful or argumentative
8. Taking the heart and eyes of Christ- Faith not accompanied by actions is dead. 
9. having a good attitude
10. Being respectful
11. Being fruitful
12. Obeying rules
13. Making godly choices-You know something is bad when you are sinning and don’t feel guilty about it. Romans 12:1-2 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
14. Having a pure heart by 1. acknowledging the nature of your heart 2.Asking God to search your heart 3.Allowing God to change your heart, and 4.Actively guarding your heart.  Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?"
15. Be aware of yourself and your surrounds-Your heart has the capacity to do more evil than we care to admit
16. Having faith-Our whole faith is based on faith, not knowing. If our faith was based on knowing, then it wouldn’t be called faith. 

Thank you, Jesus, for your rescue!