Invincible Church

10/18/2026

Invincible Church Sermon Notes

10/18/2026

God’s Way- Psalm 128:1

God has a plan, and we’re part of it! We’ve talked about it a lot over the last few months! And ‘God’s ways’ are how we ‘obey and implement’ God’s plan! So, as a true follower of Jesus, our goal in life is to do everything God’s way! It’s the only way we can show Him we love Him!

Also, the Bible promises that all people who walk in God’s ways will be blessed! There’s a lot of Scripture today, and God gave us ‘key words and phrases’ that are highlighted all through the message to help us identify ‘His way’! So, we’ll put them all together at the end!

Let’s start with:

Psalm 128:1 NIV – 1 Blessed are all who fear [respect] the Lord, who walk [live] in obedience to Him!

This verse is the primary theme of the entire book of Psalms! God favors people who show respect, reverence, and honor for Him! And to do it, we have to live in obedience to His Word, will, and ways every day! Just a few other examples in Psalms are:

Psalm 1:1 NIV – 1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked, or stand in the way that sinners take, or sit in the company of mockers! [Blessed]

Psalm 94:12 NIV – 12 Blessed is the one You discipline, Lord, the one You teach from Your law! [Disciple]

Psalm 112:1 NIV – 1 Praise the Lord! Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in His commands! [Commitment]

Psalm 119:1-2 NIV – 1 Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord! 2 Blessed are those who keep His statutes and seek Him with all their heart! [The Right Way]

‘Living or walking’ God’s way doesn’t just ‘come naturally’ to us because we’re all born with a ‘sin nature’! We have to learn God’s way, and as we’re learning, we’re supposed to be actively ‘showing and teaching’ others His ways! In our verse (1), the Hebrew word for ‘walk’ means to:

‘Live or behave in a specified manner’! So, we show our respect, reverence, and honor for God through our ‘actions and behaviors’! So, it’s more than just saying we love Jesus! We have to obey His commands and actively serve Him in order to show Him true ‘love and worship’!

Ecclesiastes 12:13 NIV – 13 Now all has been heard. Here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear [respect] God and keep [obey] His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind! [Duty]

2 Corinthians 7:1 NIV – 1 Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates ‘body and spirit’, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God! [Adoration]

In the Old Testament, God called the Israelites to live with ‘truth and integrity’ by walking in obedience, watching how they live, and staying faithful to Him! So, when they were in the wilderness, Moses made the command of doing things God’s way very clear to the people when he said in:

Deuteronomy 10:12-13 NLT – 12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear [respect] the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases Him, and love Him and serve Him with all your heart and soul! 13 And you must always obey [keep] the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good! [Obedience]

So, the Bible is our ‘complete manual’ for ‘living/walking’ God’s way! Which means that we always seek God first, keep working hard to know Him better, and live in obedience to His will every day! When we do, we’ll be better equipped to discern the actions He’d have us take!

Psalm 119:105 NLT – 105 Your Word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path! [Move Forward]

Proverbs 6:23 NIV – 23 For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and correction and instruction are the way to life! [Learn]

Psalm 1:1-2 NIV – 1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked, or stand in the way that sinners take, or sit in the company of mockers! 2 But whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on His law day and night! [Obedience Again]

Psalm 40:8 NIV – 8 I desire to do Your will, my God. Your law is within my heart! [Loyalty]

True followers of Jesus who ‘live/walk’ God’s way will intentionally ‘make decisions’ that are pleasing to Him from a heart of unconditional love for Him! It’s trusting God even when we can’t ‘see’ how we’re going to complete an assignment, reach a destination, or make it through a trial!

2 Corinthians 5:7 ESV – 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight! [Trust]

True followers of Jesus who ‘live/walk’ God’s way will have a genuine desire to ‘diligently and continually’ work hard to know God better, which helps our discernment from Him get ‘better and better’!

Colossians 1:10 ESV – 10 So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God! [Sanctification / Discipleship]

When Jesus was on Earth as a man, He ‘lived/walked’ God’s way, which gives us the perfect ‘real-life’ example for living our lives God’s way!

Matthew 26:39 NLT – 39 He went on a little farther and bowed with His face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from Me! Yet I want Your will to be done, not Mine!” [Humility]

John 14:31 NLT – 31 But I will do what the Father requires of Me so that the world will know that I love the Father! Come, let’s be going! [Work Hard]

Philippians 2:8 NLT – 8 He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross! [Unselfish Love]

Jesus also showed us that ‘obedience and love’ have to work together if we’re going to do things God’s way! And doing things God’s way proves we love Him! So, if we’ll keep training ourselves to develop this mindset, then doing things God’s way won’t seem like a burden to us!

1 John 5:3 NLT – 3 Loving God means keeping His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome! [Fulfilling]

1 John 2:5 NLT – 5 But those who obey God’s Word truly show how completely they love Him! That is how we know we are living in Him! [True]

Now, there’s a cost in ‘living/walking’ God’s way, and it starts with being willing to give up our own way! So, it involves ‘death to self’! At the time of Jesus, the cross represented death! So, God’s way is a metaphor for ‘following and living for’ Jesus! We see it in:

Luke 9:23 NLT – 23 Then He said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow Me!” [Self-Sacrifice]

So, when Jesus said, ‘Take up your cross,’ the disciples understood what He meant! True followers of Jesus have to be willing to do whatever He calls us to do, including to die if that’s what it takes! We have to give up our selfish/worldly ‘ambitions and desires’! Jesus explained it this way in:

Luke 9:24 NLT – 24 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! [Volunteer]

‘Living/walking’ God’s way means we do what He wants us to do when He wants us to do it! We should want to submit our lives to Jesus and follow His ‘commands and instructions’ because of all He’s obediently done for God, which greatly benefits us!

Romans 12:1 NIV – 1 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! [Free Will]

Ephesians 5:2 NIV – 2 And walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God! [Generosity]

So,True followers of Jesus have the Holy Spirit’s power of His light in us! So, we’ve been given all the ‘ability and authority’ we need to ‘diligently and willingly’ carry out the instructions He gave us and the assignments He gives us! It’s ‘why and how’ we’re able to ‘live/walk’ God’s way!

1 John 1:7 NIV – 7 But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin! [Salvation]

The Holy Spirit of God empowers us to obey His Word, live by the Spirit, and make decisions that ‘honor and please’ Him!

Galatians 5:16 NIV – 16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh! [Self-Discipline]

Ezekiel 36:27 NIV – 27 And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws! [Guidance]

Romans 8:4-5 NIV – 4 In order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit! 5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires, but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires! [Consecrated]

The best news is, when all true followers of Jesus get to Heaven, we won’t need renewable energy sources because the only option in eternity is ‘living/walking’ by the infinite ‘power and glory’ of the ‘one and only’ true Almighty Sovereign God of the universe and everything in it, and the everlasting light of our Lord, Savior, and King, Jesus Christ!

Revelation 21:23-24 NIV – 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp! 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it! [Reconciliation]

So, when we think about what our part in God’s plan is, and why we should do things God’s way, we have to ‘realize and understand’ why God made us! And the short answer is for His glory, purposes, and pleasure!

Revelation 4:11 NIV – 11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being!” [Sovereignty]

And in:

Colossians 1:16 NIV – 16 For in Him all things were created, things in Heaven and on Earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities. All things have been created through Him and for Him! [Jesus]

And being created for God’s pleasure doesn’t mean that He made humanity for His entertainment, which is what some people think! God is a creative being, so it gives Him pleasure to create! God’s also a personal being, so it gives Him pleasure to be in true relationships with His creation!

Think about this! The 3 most important days of our lives are the day we’re born, the day we submit our lives to Jesus as our Lord, Savior, and King, and the day we realize why He saved us! Being born is God’s gift of creation! The ‘grace and mercy’ of God in His sovereignty is:

His gift of salvation through Jesus, which allows us to be reborn, saved from the condemnation of sin, and made right in God’s eyes [Righteous]! And God’s gift of allowing us to serve Him is the ‘honor and privilege’ of bringing glory to His name!

God made us as triune beings in His ‘image and likeness’: body, soul, and spirit! Our inner spirit gives us the ability to know Him, love Him, worship Him, serve Him, and fellowship with Him! And God didn’t create humans because He needs us! God doesn’t need anything!

The Bible tells us God’s never been lonely, so He’s never been looking for a friend! He loves us, but that doesn’t mean He needs us! If we’d never existed, God would still be who He is! He’s the Unchanging One, the I AM, and He’s never been dissatisfied with His own existence!

When He made the universe, He did what pleased Himself, and since God is perfect, His actions are perfect! Also, God didn’t create any ‘beings or peers’ equal to Himself! So, He’s the one and only true, Almighty, Sovereign God! There are no other gods like Him!

Deuteronomy 4:35 NIV – 35 You were shown these things so that you might know that the Lord is God. Besides Him, there is no other! [Holy]

Once we fully recognize the complete ‘sovereignty and holiness’ of who God is, then we can understand that our ‘creation and existence’ isn’t about us. It’s about Him! And because it’s about Him, we should logically conclude that we’re ‘better off’ doing things His way!

And once we fully understand the unconditional love of Jesus, we’ll just naturally want to do things God’s way! And we should also be amazed that He would honor us by calling us friends, allowing us to serve Him, and crowning us with ‘glory and honor’ in eternity!

John 15:14-15 NIV – 14 You are My friends if you do what I command! 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business! Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from My Father I have made known to you! [Trust]

Psalm 8:5 NIV – 5 You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor! [Reward]

The bottom line is, God created us for His glory, purposes, and pleasure, and He’s blessed us with the true joy of knowing Him! But sadly, ever since God created mankind, the choice, tendency, or habit of a whole lot of people has leaned heavily toward self-centeredness/selfishness!

Self-centeredness is the ‘immoderate concern with one’s own interests and well-being over others. It’s self-love and egotism!’ It’s a sin that leads to ‘self-gratification and ignoring’ other people’s needs! So, ‘self-centeredness and selfishness’ are in total opposition to God’s way!

Romans 8:8 NIV – 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God! [Selfless]

Paul compares selfishness to ‘empty conceit,’ or somebody who thinks they’re building themselves up by tearing somebody else down! Selfish people usually have an overly high opinion of themselves, so selfishness, vanity, and arrogance will almost always lead to narcissism!

The opposite of selfishness is being like Jesus, which is the goal of every true follower of Jesus, as it says in:

Philippians 2:1-5 NIV – 1 Therefore, if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in Spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus! [Humble / Christ-Like]

So, all through the history of mankind, we’ve seen parallels of ‘peoples and nations’ choosing to ignore ‘God’s way’ and do things their way! Which always leads to negative consequences, some worse than others, and some are extremely devastating, even horrific!

The history of mankind ignoring God’s plan and God’s way goes like this!

1] Creation / Garden

2] Old Testament / Israel / Jews / God reveals / No Promised Land

3] Jesus / His obedience / His mission / Our opportunity for restoration from sin

4] New Testament / Church / Followers of Jesus / Reconciliation

5] Current day / Church Age / One Nation Under God / Man’s depravity / Jesus will return!

1] Disobedience / Deception / Failure to seek God first / Separation

2] Disobedience / Complaining / Never enough

3] Disobedience / Doubt / Fear / Worry / Even though they saw the power, authority, and lordship of Jesus

4] Disobedience / Discontent / Never enough / Passive

5] Urgency for active obedience / Prophecy completion moving faster / Return of Jesus!

So, generation after generation (even today) of ‘entitled and discontented’ cowards, whiners, and complainers! The Israelites [chosen by God and freed from slavery] – The Pharisees [delivered their promised Savior, and they rejected Him] – The current U.S. Church [blessed with a nation, freedom, and liberty, but way too many people focused on selfish gain, pleasure, and power], obviously ignoring God’s way for their own way!

So, God gave us a ‘word or phrase’ from every verse in the message today, and it all applies to following God’s plan and God’s way!

God’s way = Respect – Disciple – Blessed – Commitment – The Right Way – Obey – Duty – Adoration – Obedience – Move Forward – Learn – Loyalty – Trust – Sanctification / Discipleship – Humility – Work Hard – Unselfish Love – Fulfilling – True – Self-Sacrifice – Volunteer – Free Will – Generosity – Salvation – Self-Discipline – Guidance – Consecrated – Reconciliation – Sovereignty – Jesus – Righteous – Holy – Trust – Reward – Selfless – Humble – Christ-Like!

10/18/2026

10/05/2026

Invincible Church Sermon Notes

10/4/2026

Truth Tellers / Culture Builders- Acts 20:27-32

Ever since the Egyptians forced the Israelites into slavery in Exodus 1, God’s people have been the most persecuted people on Earth! And the persecution of Jesus and His followers started with His first 12 disciples, and it’s continued ever since! Jesus told us it would be this way!

So, we shouldn’t be surprised. We should expect it! And like with everything, God has a plan for it! As true followers of Jesus representing His Church in God’s plan, we still have a job to do in the plan, no matter what happens! And the command from Jesus to His Church is to work hard at being:

‘Truth Tellers and Culture Builders!’ Over the last several months, we’ve been talking about the individual parts of God’s plan, how they work together, and the actions that we’re supposed to take as true followers of Jesus in it! We’ve mainly been talking about individual responsibility!

But today we’re going to focus more on the Church as a whole! God’s plan calls for an established meeting place! In the Old Testament, it was the Tabernacle, Temple, or Synagogue! In the New Testament through today, the individual meeting places for all true followers of Jesus [who are the Church] are called churches!

One of the primary ‘functions or roles’ that all God’s people have in common is to build cultures of ‘true faith in Jesus’ in all the nations where each ‘group of believers’ lives. Because God has always intended for His people to impact the culture around them with the truth about who He is and the truth about who Jesus is!

Acts 20:27–32 NIV - 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. 32 “Now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”

So, God’s plan flows from revelation, to restoration, then to reconciliation into a right relationship with Him! And God gives everybody the ‘freedom and opportunity’ to choose whether they want ‘salvation and Heaven’ with Him or ‘separation and Hell’ without Him! So, as participants in God’s plan.

We have to ‘recognize and realize’ that ‘right and true’ relationships are only ‘valid and sustained’ through covenants! Which is a binding agreement based on mutual promises, and the covenant doesn’t expire until all the promises are fulfilled! So, in God’s ‘covenantal plan’

He chose the nation of Israel and the Jewish people to ‘reveal’ who He is to the world! Then He gave Jesus the ‘assignment and mission’ to make ‘restoration’ available through Him to the world, which gives people the opportunity to be ‘reconciled’ into a ‘right relationship’ with God through salvation in Jesus!

God is relational. So, His plan functions on covenants, and He’s not going to break His promises or change His plan! So, in our covenant with God, our job as a true follower of Jesus is to help the world ‘recognize and realize’ the unchangeable truth of ‘His plan’!



Which means:

The ‘responsibilities and work assignments’ given to us by Jesus are to ‘build cultures’ based on God’s truth! So, early Church leaders would write ‘summary statements’ of ‘biblical principles’ called creeds, which are documents that undergird the ‘covenant of faith’ we have in Jesus!

Back then, Bibles weren’t as readily available as they are today! So, a lot of times, only pastors, preachers, or priests had a Bible! So, these written creeds were a concise way to put ‘biblical principles’ in the hands of the people! The intent of these creeds was, and still is, to help in the process of ‘discipleship and sanctification’!

But a lot of churches today have replaced creeds with ‘mission statements.’ And on the surface, there’s nothing wrong with ‘mission statements’! But ‘mission statements’ usually just identify what churches are going to ‘try to do,’ while creeds specify what the Bible tells us ‘we have to do’!

So, one of the oldest ‘creedal statements’ that we have in the Christian faith is known as

I.] The Apostles’ Creed, which is a summary of the biblical principles that the Apostles taught! It’s written in 3 sections of specific ‘biblical principles’ that are fundamental to our faith!

The 1st section is what we ‘believe and know’ to be true about God! The 2nd section is what we ‘believe and know’ to be true about Jesus! And the 3rd section is a series of ‘statements of belief’ that define the ‘Church community’ as a whole! It emphasizes the unity of all true followers of Jesus!

Now, Creeds aren’t meant to be considered some sort of ‘holy document.’ They’re just useful tools to help us ‘live out’ our faith! So, from that perspective, it’s beneficial to ‘know and understand’ the recognized creeds of the Church! Let’s look at the Apostles’ Creed:

1.] I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth. 2.] And in Jesus Christ His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into Hades. [Now, after His physical death, Jesus did not go to Hell (the eternal place of torment), but He did go to Hades (the place of departed souls/spirits). This part is just to emphasize that He truly died a physical death!] The 3rd day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; He will come again to judge the living and the dead. 3.] I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting! Amen!

The ‘communion of saints’ here means to ‘gather.’ And the New Testament clearly teaches that saints are true followers of Jesus who are obedient to the ‘commands and instructions’ of God’s plan! Our identity is in Jesus, and we’re citizens of Heaven, which takes precedence over earthly nations, states, and governments!

Ephesians 1:1 NIV – 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to God’s holy people [saints] in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus.

So, we have a ‘2-tier hierarchy’ of ‘commitment and loyalty’:

Our 1st tier of ‘commitment and loyalty’ is to Jesus, and our 2nd tier is to all other true followers of Jesus! So, this creed contains the ‘core values’ of our faith! But also notice the things that aren’t in here, which a lot of people will say are ‘essential elements’ that ‘define and identify’ followers of Jesus!

It doesn’t say anything about baptism! Baptism’s important. We should be baptized because Jesus was baptized, and it pleased God! But it’s not a primary element of faith! It doesn’t mention the ‘Lord’s Supper’ or how often to take it, and whether the juice should be ‘fermented or not’!

It doesn’t mention Sunday school or say we can’t have church without kids’ classes! It doesn’t talk about music style or speaking in tongues! It doesn’t talk about versions of the Bible! It doesn’t say we have to ‘match the culture’ around us so people will be attracted to the Church!

But, if we miss what is described in the Apostles’ Creed, then we’ll miss the commands, instructions, responsibilities, and work that’s been assigned to us by Jesus! It’s not new! It’s been the foundation of what the Church is called to ‘believe and do’ for over 2,000 years!

It’s clear.

II. The Role of the Church in the Fallen World – Is a ‘Calling and Accountability’!

Some studies show that church attendance has been declining since COVID. And the reality is, COVID was just another tactic of the enemy to try and disrupt ‘God’s plan’! The Bible commands that we shouldn’t fail to ‘meet together’ as the Church!

So, if God says gather, then we better gather! It’s minimally once a week! But a lot of people have developed the habit of not even ‘minimally gathering’! So, if we know ‘brothers and sisters’ who’ve fallen into this habit, then:

Our role as the Church is to hold them accountable for their ‘disobedient actions’ or ‘lack of actions’! ILL: kids’ classes! God’s Word overrules our preferences, and it certainly overrules government mandates that are ‘out of alignment’ with His Word!

Jesus built the Church, and He’s the Head of it! We take our orders from Him, and we have the power to make it happen through the Holy Spirit, who lives in us! But we have to take action, answer the call, and do things God’s way! When we do, the enemy can’t stop us!

Matthew 16:18 ESV – 18 “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Jesus is building His Church, and it’s our job to help Him with the work, however He commands! So, it takes more than just sporadically attending on Sundays! Being representatives of Jesus and His Church is a 24-7-365 ‘calling and accountability’!

No matter what we achieve, accomplish, or accumulate in our ‘secular life,’ we have to understand that the greatest honor of our lives is being chosen by Jesus to be a part of His Church! And the greatest thing we can do as the Church is fulfill His ‘commands and instructions’!

We’re supposed to go, make, and teach; ask, seek, and knock! Our primary goal isn’t just to make sure we’re saved so we get to go to Heaven. Our calling is to do the will of God while we’re here on Earth! Which means, if we fail to fulfill the purposes that God designed for His Church.

Then we’ll fail in our primary ‘calling and responsibility’ as true followers of Jesus! Salvation’s important, but it’s just the starting point into participating in the Kingdom of God! So, if a person has no interest in accountability to ‘the calling,’ then they’re not interested in doing God’s will!

Matthew 5:13 NIV – 13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”

Then John gives us the same principle with a different metaphor in:

John 15:2 NIV – 2 “He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”

We need to understand the magnitude of being chosen by God to be true followers of Jesus! It applies to way more than just our ‘private life and personal preferences’! Every one of our ‘personal/private’ decisions and choices ripples out like the pebble dropped in the pond:

And impacts our families, friends, communities, states, nations, and world! We have to live from the perspective that everything we do, and every ‘public or private’ decision we make, has an impact on the ‘moral and cultural’ condition of the places we live! So, we need to know:

III. The Role of All True Followers of Jesus in the Fallen World — The Fundamentals

It’s easy to see the evil, wickedness, and depravity of the world! It’s all around us! The good news is, in the Bible and all through history, every time we see ‘arrogant/blatant’ attacks on God’s people, we experience ‘powerful and dramatic’ outpourings of the Spirit of God in whatever the situation happens to be! God’s got stuff for us to do, and if we’re being obedient in trying to get things done, He’s going to show up in ‘big ways’! So, the 1st fundamental is:

A. Always Seek God First — Which Is the Very First Commandment!

It says we can have no other gods before Him, which includes careers, belongings, kids, hobbies, teams, etc.! If we don’t get this one right, the rest of the commandments don’t matter! So, we better always be seeking Him first! We see in:

1 Peter 2:9 NIV – 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.

Notice that it says we’re supposed to be a holy nation, and not just a group of saved people! Being converted from a sinner to a saint isn’t just being ‘separated or saved’ from our sinful past for the gift of eternity in Heaven! It’s being joined to Almighty God and His holy people!

It’s the principle of covenant! We’re in this world together! We’re not a religious social club, motivational therapy center, child care facility, etc. And some of those things may happen, but they’re not the primary assignment! We’re true followers of Jesus!

Our 1st allegiance is to Almighty God! Our goal is to bring ‘honor and glory’ to His name! Everything else comes after that! It’s why we’re not ‘hyphenated’ followers of Jesus! We’re not ‘American Christians.’ We’re true followers of Jesus who live in America! Jesus made it very clear.

Mark 12:28–31 NIV – 28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked Him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” 29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

People will say they love Jesus, but what does it mean? What does it take to truly love Him? There’s only one way we can show Him we love Him, and He gave us the answer in:

John 14:15 NIV – 15 “If you love Me, keep My commands.”

We love God by being obedient to Him!

We can’t love Him if we don’t practice the truth that we know! So, faithful obedience is the starting point of becoming a true follower of Jesus, and continual obedience is essential in the discipleship process of living as a true follower of Jesus!

It’s the nature of all people to want things the way they prefer them! But Jesus didn’t tell us or give us permission to customize our faith ‘like we like it’! Our assignment is to be ‘truth tellers and culture builders’ for the Kingdom of God!

Next week, we’ll pick up with the 2nd fundamental, which is: B. Working to Build a Culture Based on God’s Truth!