{"id":499,"date":"2016-11-11T13:15:49","date_gmt":"2016-11-11T05:15:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mylifeclips.com\/blog\/?p=499"},"modified":"2016-11-11T13:19:39","modified_gmt":"2016-11-11T05:19:39","slug":"rediscover-cg-retreat-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/noordinaryadvisor.com\/blog\/for-his-cause\/rediscover-cg-retreat-2016\/","title":{"rendered":"Rediscover – CG Retreat 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sharing here a copy of my sermon on “Rediscover”, first of the 3-part series on “Rediscover, Reconnect, Rebuild”<\/strong> during our CG retreat in Langkawi (29-31 Oct 2016).<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Langkawi<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Langkawi<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Langkawi<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cREDISCOVER\u201d<\/strong>
\nBy GJ Gonzales, CG Retreat 2016
\n#Testimony by Anton and Issa<\/p>\n

Relate to activity earlier: “Piring (blindfold)”
\n– Physical hurt, bumped into
\n– Aimless, purposeless
\n– Can be frustrating
\n– Emotional
\n– Unnecessary pain and trouble
\n– Weariness
\n– Worst case: death and destruction<\/p>\n

# spiritual eyes
\nSome things that have blocked our spiritual eyes may have been caused by many factors. They are things we don\u2019t have control over, and sadly, some things we do\u00a0have control over but we just allow it to. And whether we like it or not, they are\u00a0blocking our vision of what God has intended for us.<\/p>\n

Why is it important for our spiritual eyes to see?<\/strong>
\nProv 29:18 AMP Where there is no vision [no revelation of God and His word], the\u00a0people are unrestrained; But happy and blessed is he who keeps the law [of God].<\/em><\/p>\n

Proverbs 29:18 New Life Version (NLV)<\/em>
\n 18 Where there is no understanding of the Word of the Lord, the people do\u00a0whatever they want to, but happy is he who keeps the law.<\/em><\/p>\n

What does God want us to REDISCOVER in this season?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. LOVE<\/strong><\/p>\n

a. Rediscover the love OF GOD<\/strong>
\nThe Bible says that \u201cGod is love.\u201d
\n1 John 4:8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
\n– He is love means He cannot love you less or more. He Himself is love.<\/p>\n

Sometimes when we go through a tough patch in life, we tend to question the love\u00a0of God towards us.
\nThoughts like,
\n\u201cWhere was God when I needed Him most?\u201d
\n\u201cWould God still love me after all I\u2019ve done?\u201d<\/p>\n

Psalms 103:11<\/em>
\n For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who\u00a0fear Him;<\/em><\/p>\n

b. Rediscover our love FOR GOD<\/strong>
\n1 John 4:19 We love Him because He first loved us.<\/em>
\n# backslidden me<\/p>\n

Rev 2:4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.\u00a05 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works\u2026<\/em>
\n# First love, first works
\n–\u00a0how were we when we first got saved?<\/p>\n

c. Rediscover the love OF PEOPLE<\/strong>
\nDifferent people have different ways of loving. Different ways of receiving love and\u00a0different ways of expressing love.<\/p>\n

Gary Chapman talks about the 5 love languages:<\/strong>
\n1. Words of affirmation
\n2. Acts of service
\n3. Receiving \/ giving gifts
\n4. Quality time
\n5. Physical touch<\/p>\n

Since we are unique beings, we also don\u2019t have the same love languages.
\nThere are times we doubt people\u2019s love towards us because it\u2019s not expressed the\u00a0way we expect them to. But when we take the time and have an open heart to look\u00a0beyond the surface, we\u2019ll actually see LOVE tucked in.<\/p>\n

ACTIVITY: \u201cLove Language\u201d<\/strong>
\n– Write down your top 2 love languages (receiving and giving)
\nReceiving: I feel most loved by..
\nGiving: I usually express it through\u2026<\/p>\n

d. Rediscover your love FOR PEOPLE<\/strong>
\nSometimes we tend to bury love because we were hurt or been failed by someone.\u00a0We\u2019d rather withhold love than get hurt or disappointed again.
\nBut that\u2019s not the way God wants us to do.<\/p>\n

Obedience by Faith<\/em>
\n 1 John 4:20 If someone says, \u201cI love God,\u201d and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he\u00a0who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he\u00a0has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God\u00a0must love his brother also.<\/em><\/p>\n

The love of Christ compels us\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

2 Corinthians 5:14-15<\/em>
\n 14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all,\u00a0then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for\u00a0themselves,<\/strong> but for Him who died for them and rose again.<\/em><\/p>\n

The two greatest commandments are:<\/strong>
\n1. Love God wholeheartedly – heart, mind, soul and strength
\n2. Love people fervently<\/p>\n

Matt 22:37 Jesus said to him, \u201c\u2018You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,\u00a0with all your soul, and with all your mind.\u2019 38 This is the first and great\u00a0commandment. 39 And the second is like it: \u2018You shall love your neighbor as\u00a0yourself.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

But how does the Bible describe LOVE?<\/strong>
\n1 Cor 13:4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade\u00a0itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not\u00a0provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;\u00a07 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.\u00a08a \u201cLove never fails.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

When we find it hard to love, God\u2019s help is available to us. But it first starts as a\u00a0DECISION. We need to choose to love. Tell your neighbor, \u201cWe got to choose love.\u201d\u00a0Tell the other person, \u201cI choose love.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Rom 5:5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured\u00a0out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.<\/em>
\n–\u00a0With the Holy Spirit\u2019s help, we can afford to love. We can afford to forgive. We\u00a0can afford to forget.\u00a0Let\u2019s altogether rediscover the LOVE of God, our LOVE for God, the LOVE of people\u00a0and our LOVE for people by God\u2019s help. Let\u2019s choose love.
\n2. GOODNESS<\/strong>
\na. The goodness of God<\/strong>
\nPsalms 23:6<\/em>
\n Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me\u00a0All the days of my life;\u00a0And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.<\/em>
\n– ‘Surely\u2019 implies certainty. There is a guarantee!
\n– We may not always see it in front of our natural eyes because of what we\u2019re going\u00a0through but when we look back, reflect and begin to thank God, we\u2019ll see that all this\u00a0time goodness and mercy has been following us.<\/p>\n

Psalm 34:8<\/em>
\n Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!<\/em>
\n–\u00a0something tangible, can be experienced
\nGod is good, all the time!<\/strong>
\nWhen there is TRUST, it causes us to see how good our God is.
\n# kid jumping into the pool to his dad<\/p>\n

But what can we do to intentionally see the goodness of God?<\/strong>
\n1. Praise, it is vocal<\/strong>
\n–\u00a0Psalms, songs of God\u2019s greatness and goodness
\n– Praise God for the wonders of nature, such mighty force that created it!
\n2. Thanksgiving \u2013 in our prayers, in our thoughts<\/strong>
\n–\u00a0brings out the not-so-obvious and the taken for granted
\n– in advance for the things to come
\n– Find it!
\n– Magnify it!
\n– Celebrate it!
\n# thanking in advance<\/p>\n

b. The goodness of people<\/strong>
\nAs human as we are, we tend to make a big deal out of something that\u2019s done wrong\u00a0more than that which was done right.
\n– Bad news sell, good news are boring
\n– 9 out of 10 were good, 1 was bad \u00e0 cancels out everything<\/p>\n

1 Cor 13:5b [Love] keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about\u00a0injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses\u00a0faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.<\/em>
\n–\u00a0Always believes the good in people; More often than not, you will find what you\u2019re\u00a0looking for. If you want to find the good in people, you’ll find it!
\n– “Beauty and The Beast\u201d or \u201cEverything\u00a0About Her (Vilma Santos and Angel Locsin)\u201d
\n# our bosses, our colleagues, our partner<\/p>\n

God wants us to rediscover His goodness and the goodness of people. The 3rd thing is…
\nGod wants us to rediscover in this season of our lives is PURPOSE.
\n3. PURPOSE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Purpose answers the question \u201cWhy?\u201d
\n# kids asking endless why\u2019s
\nAs adults we seldom ask why.
\n– \u201cWhat do you do?\u201d
\n– \u201cWhere are you going next?\u201d
\nIt takes process for us to discover and rediscover the why\u2019s of our lives, the purpose\u00a0for the things we do and become.<\/p>\n

We can learn from the men in the Bible who rediscovered God\u2019s wonderful plan\u00a0and purpose for their lives:<\/strong>
\n1. Joseph<\/strong> \u2013 bullied by brothers, sold as a slave, abandoned by his family, framed\u00a0up by boss\u2019 wife, suffered imprisonment, forgotten by a friend\u2026 Tough to\u00a0understand why! But God had a plan and purpose for his life!<\/p>\n

Gen 50:19 Joseph said to them, \u201cDo not be afraid, for am I in the place of\u00a0God? 20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for<\/em>
\n good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.<\/em>
\n– Joseph was promoted as he stayed faithful to God. During his time he was #2\u00a0man in the whole kingdom of Egypt next to pharaoh.
\n2. David<\/strong> \u2013 shepherd boy, neglected by family, sent out in exile despite faithfully\u00a0serving the king.. Again, natural minds couldn\u2019t conceive why would God\u00a0anoint him yet let him suffer? But God had a plan and purpose for his life!<\/p>\n

His 12 years of waiting before becoming king was not in vain.\u00a0It was during this time he wrote the book of psalms that remain til this day.
\nAnd because of how David responded to God despite his shortcoming, he\u00a0lived to be one of Israel\u2019s greatest kings and not only that, God calls him a
\n\u201cman after His own heart.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Only God can turn your MESS into a MESSAGE,\u00a0a TEST into a TESTIMONY, your TRIAL into TRIUMPH, a VICTIM into VICTORY<\/strong><\/p>\n

3. Jesus<\/strong> \u2013 He did nothing wrong in His lifetime. He cared for people, taught\u00a0them the Kingdom of God, served them the best of His ability. He loved them\u00a0despite being mocked at.\u00a0Jesus would have given up. His anguish and pain was so excruciating. He would have\u00a0come to God the Father and screamed, \u201cWhy are you being so unfair?! Why do I\u00a0have to go through this for these wicked people?\u201d\u00a0But look how He responded..<\/p>\n

Luke 22:42 saying, \u201cFather, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me;\u00a0nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.\u201d 43 Then an angel appeared to Him\u00a0from heaven, strengthening Him.<\/em><\/p>\n

Jesus knows His surrender and obedience is achieving far greater. So despite of what\u00a0He\u2019s going through and how He is feeling, He just keeps trusting God\u2019s will and\u00a0purpose for Him and the world. He took time to rediscover His purpose as the\u00a0begotten Son of God.<\/p>\n

Frustration comes from NOT trusting God\u2019s heart.<\/strong>
\n– I don\u2019t see God move. I\u2019ll do it my way since things aren\u2019t happening.<\/p>\n

Proverbs 19:21 (NIV)<\/em>
\n Many are the plans in a person\u2019s heart, but it is the Lord\u2019s purpose that prevails.<\/em>
\n–\u00a0tell your neighbor, \u201cGod\u2019s purpose will prevail\u201d and \u201cYou will soon get it!\u201d
\n# CHCtrial
\n# Transitions in the CG \u201cI don\u2019t get it!\u201d<\/p>\n

May our prayers go something like,<\/strong>
\n\u201cLord, I don\u2019t understand but I am willing to trust You.\u201d<\/em>
\n \u2018God, Your ways are higher than my ways, Your thoughts deeper than my thoughts.\u201d<\/em>
\n \u201cYou see the bigger picture. I trust that something good\u2019s going to happen.\u201d<\/em>
\n \u201cYour word says, \u201cAll things work together for good for those who love You and walk\u00a0<\/em>according to Your purpose.\u201d<\/em>
\n \u201cLet Your will be done in my life.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

ALTAR CALL<\/strong><\/span>
\nWorship Song \/ Ministry: \u201cLord, I Give You My Heart\u201d
\n1. Worship in song. Rededicate our hearts to God afresh.
\n– heart can be deceptive, foolish, hardened and blind to God\u2019s love, goodness\u00a0and purpose.
\n2. Prayer to REDISCOVER:
\na. Love \u2013 Decision: Choose to love and forgive. Choose to bear all things,\u00a0to believe, to hope, to endure.
\n3. Prayer to rediscover, that of surrender: Open up our eyes to see\u2026 Don\u2019t grow\u00a0weary.. Restored faith
\nb. Goodness
\nc. Purpose – \u201cLord, have Your way in me\u201d<\/p>\n

Dear Heavenly Father,<\/em>
\n I surrender my heart to You.<\/em>
\n Help me rediscover \/ the real meaning of LOVE.<\/em>
\n Open up my eyes to see Your goodness \/ and the goodness in people<\/em>
\n Help me obey \/ even when I don\u2019t understand<\/em>
\n You have a purpose for my life<\/em>
\n I want to be faithful to You til the very end<\/em>
\n So please, Lord, \/ have Your way in me<\/em>
\n I receive Your grace \/ that is more than sufficient for me<\/em>
\n In Jesus\u2019 name, Amen<\/em><\/p>\n\r\n\t\t