Following are my notes for my message, “Live Local: My Duty.” May God be glorified.
Live Local: My Duty
Place matters! People and places are often connected by God.
• Abraham followed God’s guidance to “a place I will show you.” Genesis 12:7
• The Israelites were given, by God, “the Promised Land.” Deuteronomy 1:8
• Jerusalem is “the City of our God.” Psalm 48
The importance of place is highlighted by early Christian’s struggle with persecution. Rather than die for their faith in Christ, they could simply flee to another place. The fleeing/staying controversy was rather extensive in the beginning days of Christian faith. For example, Tertullian insisted that fleeing was wrong, while Cyprian encouraged people to run, which he did himself. A study of Jesus’ teaching about persecution may be very interesting to you. (Matthew 10)
This week we celebrate and honor those who valued the United States of America and lived and died to make this “One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
Our question today is, “In the place where God has planted me, what is my Christian duty?”
Duty is a moral or legal obligation, a responsibility.
All Christian duty flows out of Jesus’ words in Matthew 22:37-39, “Love the Lord your God with all….Love your neighbor as yourself…” Clearly, we have a duty to God and to people.”
With love for God, our duty is to keep Jesus’ commands. John 14:15, 23, 31
With love for people, our duty is:
• Pursue right judgments (justice)
• Love mercy
• Walk in humility with God
Wrong judgments (injustice) often hurt four of our neighbors the most:
• Children
• Women
• Foreigners
• Elderly
When an infant is destroyed in the womb, she can never become a child, woman, foreigner, or elderly. The greatest injustice to our neighbors is perpetrated on infants in the womb. We must not be silent!
Our Christian duty (our moral and legal obligation and responsibility) in Anchorage, Eagle River, Peter’s Creek, Wasilla, and Palmer begins with right judgments for our unborn citizens, moves to right judgments for our children, then our women, the foreigner among us, and our elderly.
When we, out of love for God and our neighbor, keep Jesus’ commands we should have NO sense of pride because obedience is simply our duty! Luke 17:10
God is gracious and merciful and quick to forgive. If you have practiced injustice, been unmerciful, or proud, place your sin on the cross today and ask God to cleanse all of your sin. God loves to forgive.
MCA Life Groups
Connecting with Each Other
1. Do you have a July 4th tradition that you enjoy?
2. Do you drink tea or coffee? Why? :0)
Digging Deeper into the Lesson
1. How important are places? Consider Psalm 137:1.
2. Matthew 10 is an amazing lesson by Jesus about being sent out for ministry. Read the first sentence in verse 23. Read verses 32 and 33.
a. If you are able, what should you do in face of persecution? Vs. 23
b. If you are not able to flee persecution, what is your duty? Vs 32, 33
3. In other words, you may __________________ but not _________________.
4. Pursuing right judgments for infants is our number one priority. Consider James 1:27 and make a list of three action steps you must take for justice for infants.
a.
b.
c.
Prayer
1. Ask God for right judgments for infants, children, women, foreigners, and the elderly in our lives.
2. Pray for continued growth in those who responded to Christ at Heaven’s Gates and Hell’s Flames.
3. Pray with those in your LIFE group who have practiced injustice, shown no mercy, or walked with pride.