Alarm Bells, Part 1 Sunday, June 9, 2013
“Signals”
But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, for some on Mount Zion in Jerusalem will escape, just as the Lord has said. These will be among the survivors whom the Lord has called. Joel 2:32 (NLT)
Two aspects of this verse:
1. Calling on the Lord
2. The Lord calling us.
Key words:
EVERYONE
SOME WILL ESCAPE
SURVIVORS
Question: Has anyone here had a really bad day in the past two weeks?
1. Sick all week
2. Went to lunch Wed at Daq’s and someone hit my car
3. Picked up furniture and had red flecks all over it
Title of the message is “Signals”. We are getting signals all the time. How do we call out for help?
Illustration #1: Lady at Piccadilly
Illustration #2: Caught in the Intersection
Question #1: When the alarm bells start going off, what are you supposed to do?
Examples:
Security Alarm:
Industrial or Military:
Old School Bell:
Tornado Alarm:
How do you signal for help?
Clip from Castaway
David Robinson: Cast Away is an intelligent, understated movie, a convincing parable reflecting somewhat ambiguously on our times.
A. How do you signal for help when…
1. Your marriage is falling apart
2. You’re overwhelmed with life
3. You don’t know if anyone cares
4. You want to quit
5. You’re scared on the inside
6. You don’t feel you can trust anyone any more
7. You feel like you about to lose it all
6 And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! 7 A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking. 8 When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m too much of a sinner to be around you.” Luke 5:6-8 (NLT)
Four things happen in this verse:
1. Hard work
2. Nets bursting
3. Call for help
4. Repentance
10 His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” 11 And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus. Luke 5:10-11 (NLT)
1. Life can be OVERWHELMING.
As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. 43 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. 44 She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. Luke 8:42-44 (ESV)
What do you do when the doctor tells you something you don’t want to hear?
You might be thinking: HOW DID I GET INTO THIS MESS?
2. God sends you SIGNALS.
What signals is God sending you right now?
In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. John 5:3 (NKJV)
5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” John 5:5-6 (NKJV)
3. God looks for your SIGNAL.
35 As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38 And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Luke 18:35-39 (ESV)
What signals are you sending?
4. You must RECOGNIZE Jesus.
How is Jesus coming to you now?
Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” John 4:10 (NLT)
No comments:
Post a Comment