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February Week 3 Commission Thursday: Guarding Your Spiritual Life in a World of Distractions: Insights from 2nd John

Parklands Baptist Church's Podcast

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  1. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another episode of Commission Thursday.

  2. We believe that every believer is the light, every believer is the salt, every believer is Christian Bershanda and every believer is the carrier of the message of good news.

  3. So turn with me the book of 2nd John.

  4. I'll read from the NIV version 2nd John chapter oh, it's basically chapter 1.

  5. Chapter 1, verse 8, the scripture says watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.

  6. As I was reading this portion of scripture and meditating, it just reminded me of those days Okay, not those really, those days, but sometimes when you're watching a movie and as you watch a movie, you see this particular army that is about to go and attack a different territory and as they go they keep guard of each other, they protect each other as they go to that place of attacking before they attack.

  7. You realize the key thing that they're watching is on how to guard themselves, because if we lose you, apparently the entire nation is going to lose.

  8. So it's good.

  9. We protect each other and after we protect each other, we attack.

  10. And after we attack we can also celebrate because we guard our area of jurisdiction, because of what God has done or because that's your assignment.

  11. The scripture says in the book of Proverbs that guard your heart with all diligence.

  12. And I know that we live in a time and a season.

  13. A lot of things are happening philosophies, ideologies, rumors, trending things and many of the times we find ourselves victim of the things that are trending and sometimes we even criticize things of church that were meant for the body of Christ.

  14. And in this particular portion of scripture, the scriptures reminding us that we need to watch out.

  15. How do we fail to watch out?

  16. One of the things that is good we understand is we never be familiar in the place where God has planted us, because God has placed us in unique places.

  17. He has strategized on the exact place or position that we are supposed to dwell.

  18. Then sometimes you get familiar with the man of God or people who have placed us under our care, the authority figure or even the parents, and the toughest time is to love somebody when you know their weakness.

  19. So you are exposed to the weakness of these people and you get familiar with them and you fail to hear what God is speaking through them.

  20. Or probably it's about ministry.

  21. So you've learned the art of how to serve in the ministry.

  22. So you are surviving based on your skills, experience of the art.

  23. And the scripture is reminding us to be watchful Because he's reminding us, on the second phase, that there is a time that will be rewarded, and he says that when the day of reward comes, may you be rewarded fully.

  24. When God allowed you to live in this particular face on earth, he destined, he gave a specific assignment, he gave a specific purpose and he gave you in a unique way, because out of the billions of people in the universe, you are the only unique person who can do that particular thing in the body of Christ or in the marketplace.

  25. And this grace or this anointing that God placed under your care was for you to enhance the kingdom of God.

  26. But sometimes we fail to reach that place that God destined for us because of the things that surround us.

  27. So in this particular season, as we serve, let's be ready to look at the things that are happening, but let's also guard our heart so that we may not lose it in the expense of what we are chasing, that we might not lose our salvation in the expense of trending on the things that are happening, that we might not lose our ministry in the expense of trying to fit in.

  28. We might not lose the things that God placed under our care at the expense of wanting to be known.

  29. So, this year, guard your heart, because God has commissioned you to be the light, to be the salt, to be the carrier of this message of good news and be the ambassador.

  30. May you be faithful so that, when that time comes, you will receive your full reward.

  31. Be blessed.