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WHAT LEVEL ARE WE IN ?

HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER

Pastor Oldie

4 Oct 2009 WHAT LEVEL ARE WE IN ?

In life, we progress to different levels- even our  physical body go through phases of change and so is our spiritual life. We must continue to progress so that at any time when the trumpet sounds, we might be found ready.

Level 1 – Curiosity Level - Come and see

Level  2 –  Consecration  Level - Come and surrender

Level 3 –  Conviction Level - Come and sacrifice

Level 4 –  Commitment Level - Come and serve

Level 5 –  Cause Level - Come and suffer

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Level 1 –  Curiosity Level - Come and see

Like Simeon in Acts,  when our spiritual blindness is removed, we will see the salvation of Christ- and we need to be mindful of God’s salvation fresh before us. More than that, we need to have the heart for the loss, to open their eyes to see the same salvation of God. We need to share the salvation we have seen and miracles we have experienced - with the rest of the world.

John 1:39-46

      They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"

 ³⁹"Come," he replied, "and you will see."
      So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.

 ⁴⁰Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. ⁴¹The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). ⁴²And he brought him to Jesus.
      Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter^[j]).

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

 ⁴³The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me."

 ⁴⁴Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. ⁴⁵Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

 ⁴⁶"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked.
      "Come and see," said Philip.

Luke 2:30

 ³⁰For my eyes have seen your salvation,
    ³¹which you have prepared in the sight of all people,

God  raise Lazarus. The glory of God is revealed through miracles. We pray and believe- impossible becomes possible- when we see miracles take place in the our lives and that of our families.

John 2:11

 ¹¹This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

Psalm 34:8

 ⁸ Taste and see that the LORD is good;
       blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

Ecc 1:8

 ⁸ All things are wearisome,
       more than one can say.
       The eye never has enough of seeing,
       nor the ear its fill of hearing.

 Level  2 –  Consecration  Level - Come and surrender

When we say Jesus is Lord- we must learn to surrender and let Him take over. We are to yield ourselves and allow Him to disrupt and interrupt  our lives – because all belongs to Him.

Mark 8:34-38

 ³⁴Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ³⁵For whoever wants to save his life^[c] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. ³⁶What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? ³⁷Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? ³⁸If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."

 Level 3 –  Conviction Level - Come and sacrifice

In this world, we face uncertainties of politics , natural calamities, disasters – earthquakes, typhoon, tsunamis..etc.  Nothing is certain in this world but God is in control and miracles do happen. Miracles led to revelation and can create commitment.

Luke 5:1-11

 ¹One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,^[a]with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, ²he saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. ³He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

 ⁴When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down^[b] the nets for a catch."

 ⁵Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."

 ⁶When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. ⁷So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

 ⁸When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" ⁹For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, ¹⁰and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners.

   Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men." ¹¹So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

Level 4 –  Commitment Level - Come and serve

We are to be committed to the tasks of Jesus. When Jesus touched you  and you receive blessings-  release itto serve others, then your Christian life becomes meaningful.

 John 12:26

²⁶Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

Level 5 –  Cause Level - Come and suffer

As  you progress, you are led to another level. This is a preparation phase for the final call- because the path to heaven is a narrow path whilst wide is the road to hell. Sinful people will refuse to embrace us and we will face persecution for Jesus sake. There will be persecution in the church of Jesus Christ- and we need to face them with good courage.

Matt 5:10

 ¹⁰Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 Matt 5:45

, ⁴⁵that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

 Acts 14:22

²²strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," they said.

AT  THE END OF IT ALL – WE WILL RISE TO THE CELEBRATION LEVEL, LET’S  COME AND REJOICE.