“Mind Your Own Business”
God’s Perspective part 2
Pastor David Moore
Old Testament reading: Psalm 53:1-6 (NIV)
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good.
God looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. Do all these evildoers know nothing?
They devour my people as though eating bread; they never call on God. But there they are, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to dread. God scattered the bones of those who attacked you; you put them to shame, for God despised them.
Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When God restores His people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!
New Testament reading: Ephesians 1:3-14 (NIV)
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will—to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of His glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession-to the praise of His glory.
Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.
Paul wants to show the Ephesians and us, is not another human perspective. What he wants is to show us God’s perspective. And because of that, it will be continually challenging. ~D. Moore
Ways we have received every spiritual blessing in Christ:
1. Christ chose us before the creation of the world to be holy.
2. God loves us and chooses us and then sets us apart.
3. That you were seeking God, but only trying to find God because He was pulling you toward Himself. No one can make themselves into a follower of Jesus. It is grace, it is God making it happen.
Colossians 1:6 All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth.
The Bible says we have the ability to choose, and we won’t choose God, we won’t submit to God’s authority over our lives unless He changes our heart. I also believe that we will always choose what we understand to be in our own best interest. You and I can choose God, but we won’t, we can’t want God, so we will never choose God unless He changes our desires. ~D. Moore
Romans 8 says the natural mind is enmity against the law of God. ~D. Moore
Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.
Why does God choose others and not me, why does God draw Himself to me and not my brother, my parents, or my friend? The answer is, mind your own business. (John 21) ~D. Moore
You are a Christian if God has come to you, opened your eyes and shown you that you are a sinner, but further, a loved sinner, one that Jesus died for on the Cross. Jesus took the punishment my sins deserved and satisfied, completely, the 10 Commandments and the rest of the law. He opened our eyes and said, ‘You don’t have to fulfill those laws; I’ve done that for you. You are accepted if you believe, you are in the family.’ ~D. Moore
-You are a forethought, not an afterthought.
-You need a changed heart that God can bring.
Keep your attention focused entirely on what is truly your own concern, and be clear that what belongs to others is their business and none of yours. ~Epictetus
Our incentive to obey God is to look at all He has done for us. Look at the Cross, take communion, remember what has been done for you. The question becomes, how can I love God back? ~D. Moore
If Jesus Christ is your shepherd, if you have been touched by God, then it isn’t that you will never stray, you will, but more that you will never fail to come back. You will persevere. Because you understand you’re loved, no matter what. It gets rid of self-aggrandizing, because you were chosen not for how great you are, but simply because of God’s love. You are heaven bound, and anything in this life that you are suffering through or with we know is temporary. It is nothing compared to the glory and peace of an eternity with Jesus. The value of what is promised overwhelms the cost of anything God asks us to endure. If we clearly see that we are saved by grace alone.
Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.
God bless you, thank God for each day for the grace He freely gives.