WHAT HAVE YOU GOT - Use Your Gift

In 'The Matrix', one of my favourite parts in the movie is when everyone is telling Neo he is 'The One', that he has the gift... but he doesn't see it. He underestimates himself. But, just in time, Neo finally discovers that he has this great gift - that he has the power to overcome the enemy. 

He gets the revelation that he has a gift and he steps into it. He stops the bullets, and goes after Agent Smith. 

God has given us something and that something will have a huge impact as we begin to use it. 

2 Timothy 1:6-9
I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands.

There is a gift in you. It is a gift that God has given you for his purpose but it is not yet developed. Paul reminds us to fan into flame the gift because it needs development. 

We need to fan it. Which is what we do when a fire is just taking hold - we blow on it! The breath is the Holy Spirit. Let the Holy Spirit blow upon your gift. 

Through the laying on of my hands. Leaders help develop the gifts in our lives. Make sure someone is speaking into your life! You need to let kingdom development take place and some people never get their gift going because they won't allow themselves and their gifts to be developed. 

4 Ways to get your gift going

1 Discover your gift
Once you have the revelation that you have a gift, we should be eager to discover what we have been given and what our gift is! Do the spiritual gifts test and find out! 

A few years ago when I got Dylan a PSP (Play station portable) for his birthday, he didn't hold back! He realised: 'I have a great gift from dad!'. He ripped it open, plugged it in and was playing within minutes! There was no 'but I'm not sure if I'm ready... Maybe when my life is sorted out I will use my gift...'. 

Don't hold back! 

2 Pick up your gift
Start using your gift! This is what you were created to do: to use your God given gifts. It is a gift with great effect. 

In The Matrix, Neo starts using his gift and all of a sudden he is winning the battle. The same will happen with you. Your gift has been given so that you will win battles for the kingdom of God.

1 Timothy 4:14 Do not neglect your gift which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. 

If you have neglected your gift - pick it up and do something with it! When I picked up my gift, it turned my life around from drifting around in the world, to having a purpose. 

3 Develop your gift
'Through the laying on of my hands'. Allow leaders to speak into your life and your gift will increase! Listen to what they say, get some input and develop it. Practice makes perfect - get your gift working to its full potential! It is so sad to see so much potential sitting in people who never develop what they have. Stir it up and be the best you can be. 

4 Serve with your gift
1 Peter 4:10-11 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. 

Your gift will come alive when you use it for what it was meant for: to serve others. 
This is where your gift will become strong: as you use it to serve. 
This is one of the keys to life: use your gift to help people, administering God's grace. 

2 Timothy 1:7
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 

Don't go to fear, go to faith! God has given you a spirit of power! God has raised you up to have a spirit of power, not a spirit of fear. People live in fear because they live in their own strength because the task is too great. but as you take up your gift, you take up a spirit of power. 

Don't look down upon yourself. You would be surprised at what God has planned for your life. The enemy wants to undermine your gift because if you step into it, you will be mighty. 

Let us not back down from what God has called us to do. 
We are called to make a stand for him. We have got a job to do today around our nation. Our nation needs people of God to rise up with power, unashamed of the gospel. Leaders with the gift of God, developed and ready. 

This month, fan into flame the gifts of God!

MULTIPLY - A Spirit of Increase

We are created to belong to a cause, created to be part of a vision to build something bigger than ourselves. 

As Christians we have the DNA of heaven inside of us. We are born to increase and multiply! Let a spirit of increase get upon your life. Acts 16:5 NASB So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily. 

 

Spirit of Increase

Anything that gets under the influence of God increases! 
As Christians we have a promise of increase. We need to receive it and walk in it! 

Psalm 1:1-3
Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither - whatever they do prospers. 

This is God's inheritance for us. Lets take a hold of it! 

so the churches were being strengthened in the faith
Faith builds our lives and faith builds the church. Without faith - it's just you, it's just your strength, it's just your plan. When we're in faith, we are connected to the Holy Spirit and the mighty body of Christ. You have access to the power of God and His plan. We need to keep the faith alive - keep it stirring in our lives! 

Christians need to be strengthened in their faith. Churches need to be strengthened in faith. This needs to be our pathway! As we are strengthened in faith, we naturally grow and build up. Let faith strengthen you! You cannot live a spiritual life without faith. 

When a church is strengthened in faith - something is going to happen!!! Something is going to happen in our church because we are in faith! We've seen it many times before, recalling Snowjam in the early 2000s when the youth of our church build a snow ramp and filled Aotea Square! It was a radical spirit that was upon our youth to pull that off. We need a radical spirit again. 

and were increasing in number
Let a spirit of increase come upon your life. We are created to increase. It is our natural state as Christians. As we are built up in faith, we are able to grow in God as we should. The first thing that God said to man: 

Genesis 1:28 NKJ and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

The first thing God says to man is: multiply/increase! We are God's field and in that field, things will grow. When Christians aren't increasing it is because they are listening to the world's voice more than God's voice. 

daily.
Daily - growth should be happening every single day. 
Your life is healthy if there is constant growth. Growth is evidence of the kingdom. 

God wants to increase us, but really what is on his heart is that we would come together and increase his church. This is his mission and vision for the world. A church that gets into a spirit of increase could grow daily! At least 365 a year!

4 Things that stop increase in our lives

1. Negativity
Your words create the future. Too many Christians speak negative words. Don't speak your fears, give them to God. Keep what you speak uplifting, speak life. If you keep pulling yourself down, you will get what you say. 
2. Disappointment
It cripples us, it breaks our heart and steals our faith. Don't carry the disappointments of the past around. It's time to offload them and get released from the past. 
3. Disobedience
People do whatever they want and wonder why God doesn't bless them. Stop resisting God, do things God's way. 
4. Unbelief
Hebrews 11 My righteous ones will live by faith.
Offload unbelief. Don't be a cynic, be a believer. 

People empowered by God will grow. We become who we are created to be. A spirit of growth gets on us, our lives will grow. Don't get used to being the same old - same old, with the same things happening, thinking the same things. 

When was the last time something new happened?

When you get touched by God, growth happens! The world gets in a rut. The kingdom grows. No one gets up in the morning thinking: I can't want to get back in my rut. 
Yet, many Christians end up in a rut - even when they have access to kingdom supernatural growth! Step out of the natural and into the supernatural. The church needs to grow to fulfill all that God has set in front of us. 

We all need to grow!!! 

I COME ALIVE - The Lord's Prayer 'Your Kingdom come'

"God does nothing but in answer to prayer" - John Wesley

This month we really want to encourage people in their prayer life.
God moves on our faithful prayers!
James 5:16 The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective
If we want to see God at work in our lives we need to be investing in, and seeking after him. 

 

The Lord's Prayer

As good as the were, God had a problem with their Christianity.

Matthew 6:9 NKJ
In this manner, therefore, pray: 
Our Father in heaven, Hallowed by Your name. 
Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 
Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 
And do not lead us into temptation,But deliver us from the evil one. 
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. 
Amen. 

This prayer is split into 3 parts: preface/Petitions/Conclusion

Preface
Our Father in heaven

Petitions - 6 (3 God focused/3 needs)
1 - Hallowed by Your name. 
2 - Your kingdom come.
3 - Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 
4 - Give us this day our daily bread. 
5 - And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 
6 - And do not lead us into temptation,But deliver us from the evil one. 

Conclusion
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. 

 

Your kingdom come

This is an amazing request.
This is Christ's mission statement. 
It is why he came to earth that the kingdom of God might come. As we pray - it aligns us with Jesus and his mission for humanity. It is a powerful prayer that we should add to our prayer life. 

Your kingdom come

Whose kingdom are we seeking? It starts off his and can end up ours.
So often people are seeking God's blessing on their priorities. God I need this job, I need this promotion, I need this house, I need this situation for my kids. 

We can have so many opinions and agendas that we can often take the priority off him - and place it on ourselves. Our world is so self obsessed that we can lose our sense of direction. 

Prayer brings us back to God and his kingdom. The Kingdom of God is about seeking his priority. If you're finding your prayers aren't getting answered - it can be because you're seeking your priority. Start seeking his! 

Remember when you first found God - you sought him out. Renew your pursuit of God.
Let's shift the focus back to him. 

Your kingdom come

This was the central theme in Jesus preaching - the coming of the kingdom. 
The kingdom is essentially everything and everywhere that comes under the sovereign lordship of Christ. As we surrender our lives to Christ - we come into the kingdom. 
If our household surrenders to Christ - the kingdom comes into our household. 

In prayer we catch a vision of his glorious kingdom coming to earth. This is why Christ came and it should matter to us. As we see more of his kingdom - we see more of God. As the kingdom gets in us - the purpose of our lives in revealed! We can live in the day to day world - but his kingdom lifts us to our divine purpose. 

Your kingdom come

As we begin to pray - one of the things that always comes through is God's heart for mission. We can't spend time with God without catching fresh passion for reaching the world. What an amazing prayer we are asked to pray! 

To let his kingdom come
The mission of Christians the church is to let His kingdom to come
The great commission is Christ's prayer for his people to rise together and reach a lost world. Can you imagine what our world could be like if his kingdom came to earth upon earth in a greater measure! 

Because when his kingdom is not coming - our world is suffering. We are set free because the kingdom of God has come into our lives - we need to spread it out! 
We need to pray for it.
We need to preach on it.
We need to live for it.  

I COME ALIVE - I'm Coming Back

Revelation 2:1-5 NASB  The message to the church in Ephesus
To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this: ‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary.

Ephesus was a mega city and housed the first Christian mega church - a shinning beacon of the kingdom in the ancient world. The church had done so much right - they had helped put Christianity on the map, worked hard, didn't tolerate wickedness, tested false apostles, endured hardship... the church was doing great things for God! 

 

But there was an issue... 

As good as the were, God had a problem with their Christianity.

Revelation 2:4 But I have this against you, that you have left your first love

If we lose our love for God - we have lost it all. Our love for God keeps our faith alive!
Think of the people who used to be so on fire... But they lost it. They got proud or disappointed or offended or distracted and are now doing their own thing. 

They stopped having an encounter with God. 
We all need a fresh encounter with God. 

When was the last time you had a real encounter with Him? 
Have you lost some of that fire? Have you lost your first love?

 

God wants to call us back

Revelation 2:5 Therefore, keep in mind how far you have fallen. Repent and perform the deeds you did at first. But if you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

It's not a small thing to loose your first love. See it for what it is. Jesus Says to consider how far you may have fallen. Jesus is saying it is a gulf, which we should not minimise. 

Philippians 2:12 Work out your salvation daily with fear and trembling. If there is no fear and trembling anymore - a desire to be right with God, then salvation has also gone!

Even the mighty fall. Just like the great church of Ephesus.
David fell.
Peter denied Christ.
Samson let his passions overtake the call of God. 

Remember when you first got saved

For me - it was one of the greatest times of my life. I got saved and got filled with the Holy Spirit - I was on fire! I formed a band - we did out reaches, played on the streets, did street evangelism. We had late night prayer meetings to worship sessions on a Friday night. I was in a connect group and developed in God. I received the call of God. It was a time of God's transforming power. 

What happened for you? 
Did God get squeezed out somewhere along the line? 

Turn back towards God, turn around.

James 4:8 Draw close to me and I will draw close to you.

Come back into his presence. If you've been cruising in your faith, repent and come back. Repentance is the gate for salvation. Most of us come into church as a prodigal. I came back. From growing up in a large Pentecostal church, I left at a young age to do my own thing. But I came back to God. Maybe you need to come back. 

The key is to keep a humble spirit before God

James 4:6 God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble

Keep your humble spirit. Christians get into a zone of "I'm good". God Doesn't want you good - he wants you alive in Christ! He wants you abundant! A humble spirit will help you admit you have become distant from God and to come back to Him.

The apostle Peter came back.
David came back.
Moses came back.
Samson came back. 

 

People and churches who won't continue to turn back to God will loose his presence and his favour

The Pharisees were once God's people who got more interested in God's rules than God's presence. They ended up killing Jesus. 

In the end, Jesus removed the lampstand from the churches in Revelation. 
Today, Turkey is one of the least Christianised countries - 0.2% less Christians in Turkey than Iran, Iraq than in China and NOrth Korea. When Asia Minor/Turkey was once the home of all the seven churches and the hotbed of the church. The people lost their first love and became religious. 

How to have an encounter with God

1. Humble yourselves

2. Draw close to God
    James 4: 8 Draw close to me and I will draw close to you

MODERN FAMILY - Resolving Conflict

God is the creator of families. Family is such a powerful connection that we are all created to be a part of. With every connection and relationship, conflict can play a key part in causing rifts and fragmenting this connection. God is not only passionate about family, but He knows how to make it work!

Colossians 3:12-17 NIV Living the New Life
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 

6 KEYS TO RESOLVING CONFLICT

1. LEARN HOW TO COMMUNICATE

We must all learn the art of communication. Communication is an art form, and it can be learnt! It is easy to feel like we are not good at communicating, especially at home. However, families need good communication. When we communicate well - there tends to be far less conflict.

2. CHOOSE YOUR WORDS WELL

Proverbs 15:1 ESV says A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Some words cannot be taken back once they are out, and in a heated environment, controlling what we say can be difficult. In those moments of conflict, don’t give in to dirty fighting, and don’t have a loose tongue - for death and life are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21).  

Someone in the situation has to be the peacemaker, who is willing to speak words of life.

3. DON’T AGREE WITH A NEGATIVE STATEMENT

Matthew 18:19 NIV says “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.”

Agreement is a powerful kingdom force. Never agree on the negative but agree about God’s favour upon your lives and about a positive outcome to any challenge.

4. DON’T GET OFFENDED

Offence is like melanoma of the soul - there’s little  evidence on the surface but it eats away at you over time. The nature of offence is that it hurts you far more than the person who you’re offended with. To remain offended will kill your spirit and steal your faith and is not a place where we are called to remain but many Christians do.

In most cases, the person who caused offence generally doesn’t even know they offended you! We think they should, but we’ve never told them. 

Telling them is halfway to dealing with the offence. Telling them is communicating!

5. FORGIVE EVERYONE

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  

We serve the God who forgave us. Our way, is forgiveness. Unforgiveness will create more problems in your life than whatever that person did to you. Unfortiveness causes us to walk outside the forgiveness of God.

6. LEARN TO NEGOTIATE

When it comes to conflict, some people are naturally confronters and some are more avoiders. Confronters can tend to push the issue with an avoider generally resulting in tears - which doesn’t solve anything! Are you a confronter or an avoider?

We can try to ‘win’ an argument - if one person wins, it means the other person loses. If that person is your spouse, child or friend - over time, you all lose.

Instead, we need to find a win-win situation, by negotiating a positive outcome, meeting in the middle.  Confronters may need to back off sometimes and let some things slide and the Avoiders need to be willing to discuss a tricky subject.

DISCIPLE MAKERS - Disciple One

Sitting at my local - Circus Circus Cafe in Mount Eden, I overheard a girl disciple another girl. One was speaking into the others life - she was asking the hard questions, but also encouraging her disciple. 

It was awesome, it was inspiring, it was discipleship. 
I was inspired to see what was happening in my local cafe. 

1 Corinthians 11:1 Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ

1. DISCIPLE MAKERS ARE WILLING TO BE AN EXAMPLE

Nobody wants to be an example any more
Everybody wants someone else to do it

1 Timothy 4: 12 says Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity

God is looking for His people to be examples of the Christian life. Don't be intimidated - be an example to the believers in speech, conduct, in love, in faith, in purity

Be an example. As you stand up - you are standing for Christ.

2. DISCIPLE MAKERS ARE SPIRITUAL TRAINERS

One of New Zealand's greatest trainers was Arthur Lydiard – he was a super coach. He has mentored 17 people to gain Olympic medals, including Peter Snell and Murray Halburg. He said this:

"Over the past forty years I have proved champions are everywhere provided they receive the proper training – It’s not the best athlete who wins but the best prepared".

Discipleship is about being prepared for the future. We need help prepare some people for their future in Christ. 

3. DISCIPLE MAKERS LEAD THE WAY

Disciple makers are leaders. A leader has to show that it can be done, they help others make it. The kingdom needs leaders

4. DISCIPLE MAKERS ARE WILLING TO PAY THE PRICE TO FOLLOW JESUS 

There is a fight to follow and Disciple makers pay that price. 
To be a disciple, is to make the changes necessary to represent God. It is not for the faint hearted - it is for the faith hearted! Who is willing to follow the example of Christ?

1 Corinthians 10:23-24 I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others. 

Don't just do whatever you want to - just because you can. Some Christians are so selfish - don't be like that. Don't cause people to stumble. Don't lead people astray. Use your gift to lift and encourage people. That is called leadership. 

Disciple makers are in it to help others grow and develop.

5. DISCIPLE MAKERS ARE PEOPLE DEVELOPERS 

It's the ultimate Christian action - to give of what you have, to help someone else. Jesus invested himself into us and he asks us to do that for others. 

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

For me - discipling people has been one of the joys and I am here because of some great Disciple makers discipling me. I will never forget that -imagine if they didn't get involved! 
My passion is to get involved and help build disciples. So the challenge is this: disciple at least one person this year!

OVERCOMERS - Greater is He

The greatest upset in Rugby history happened this year.
Japan beat the Springboks at the Rugby World Cup.

Before this game, Japan had only ever won one game in the World Cup… 24 years ago against Zimbabwe. Yet, somehow, they believed that they could beat South Africa and this is what they achieved. Japan captain Michael Leitch said - "I'm not surprised. We came out here to do a job. I know the whole world is surprised but in our camp, we always knew we could do it…I always knew it was going to be a big battle...David v Goliath. We've been training for this day for the last four years. We've worked extremely hard, all the coaching staff and the players. It was just a full-on team effort. The Springboks came out and just tested us but we knew if we just kept it on we'd come away with the win."

Japan overcame the odds, took on of the giants of world rugby and were overcomers!

God has created us all to be Overcomers in our lives.
This month we want to focus on how we can overcome in all circumstances and situations.

Read: 1 John 4:4-6 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us.

Here are some keys to becoming an Overcomer: 

1. UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN BORN INTO

You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; 

Being an overcomer is all about knowing who you are in Christ. When you were saved and baptised, you were born again. You are now born of God. 

Read: 1 John 5: 4 For everyone born of God overcomes the world

Our position now in Christ makes us overcomers. This means that you were born to overcome! Ask yourself. When was the last time you overcame in a situation? This should be a regular occurrence for us. It is the way we should live. Always having faith that something can happen to turn a situation around. That is what makes us different from the world around us, we always have this hope. And it is our relationship with Jesus that gives us the power to overcome.

Too easily we can end up in survival mode. We've all been there before, just getting through the week. But this is not what you were created for, to just survive. Jesus didn't come into the world so you could just survive. He came that you may have life.

Read: John 10: 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

He came so that you could rise up. Don't give up on things so easily. Get the dream back, get your faith back. Stop surviving and start overcoming!

2. ACKNOWLEDGE THAT JESUS IS GREATER

because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. 

Who is in you? Is Christ in you or is the world in you? It's easy for us to be in church but have the world and its ways in us. We grow up in the world, we live in its system and if we are not aware, it will plant its messages in us. But there will be no breakthrough for us if the world is in us. But if Christ is in us. He is greater than the he who is in the world. He is greater than anything you are facing right now. He can overcome any situation that you could come up against. When you acknowledge Him in your life He can turn things around.

Read: John 16:33 In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

There is no reason to live like you are defeated. It's time to rise up!!!

3. DON'T SPEAK AS THE WORLD DOES

They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. 

Worldly people speak the world's language. The language of cynicism, selfishness, gossip, negativity and defeat. If you are not careful you can convince yourself that you are overcome before you have even given God a chance. Whose language are you speaking? Your words will locate you. Your words will easily tell you and everyone else what spirit is in you.  

Dr Yonggi Cho, leader of one of the largest churches in the world says that:

"The language of the Holy Spirit is dreams and visions"

A Christian without a dream is a Christian who has lost their identity. Get the dream back and begin to speak the language of the Holy Spirit. We are meant to be different from the world so don't worry about fitting in. We live differently, we speak differently and we run after different prizes. We are from God. He says you are an overcomer. Agree with Him in this regard. Act like it, live like it. No situation can defeat you, you will defeat it. Christ is in you. You will overcome. 

Colossians - The Lordship of Christ

The message of this world is "It's all about you!" It's advertising that works in 2015.
But the Bible says something different. 

Colossians 2:6-7 NLT And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. 

How do we make Jesus Lord in a self-obsessed world? 

1. MAKE CHRIST YOUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY

And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord

The starting point is making him Lord. As you accept Christ as your saviour he also becomes the Lord of your life. Have you made him the Lord?

Colossae was a textile city 160 km from Ephesus, in Asia Minor and is now known as Turkey. They had some great qualities; faith and love (1:4), right living & strong faith (2:5). But much of the false teaching taking place in Colossae had to do with the minimising of Jesus. Many people thought He was important but not essential. They had given Him a place in their lives, without recognizing that He was the Lord. Jesus was important to them, but certainly not pre-eminent. We have the same temptation today. People want to make a place for Jesus in their life - but not necessarily as Lord.

Who is number one in your life? Because whoever is number one is really the Lord. 

Is it Self? In the gym, you see some people who are obsessed with themselves and how they look! 
Is it Relationships?For some people their relationships are number one. People will put relationships and family before their relationship with God. Putting anything before God is an idolatry.
Is it Money? Jesus said you can't serve two masters. It’s either God or money. For some people, the dollar comes first and they will chase it wherever it goes even if it means walking away from Christ.

Or is it Jesus Christ. If Jesus is the Lord, it changes everything!

What does Lordship mean? The word Lord means to govern over or to rule over. It means we surrender to Christ and let him rule in our lives. It means His way is our way

Matthew 7:22-23 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

People can say Lord, Lord, but that does not mean that he is Lord. Don't just call him Lord, come under his Lordship.

If God is the Creator of the entire universe, then it must follow that He is the Lord of the whole universe. No part of the world is outside of His lordship. That means that no part of my life must be outside of His lordship.  - R. C. Sproul

2. BE COMMITTED TO FOLLOW HIM

You must continue to follow him.

Don't start well and then drop off. Lordship is a lifetime commitment. Medieval Knights / Vassals in the Middle Ages took an oath to their master that ensued their life-long service. “I promise on my faith that I will in the future be faithful to the Lord, never cause him harm and will observe my homage to him completely against all persons in good faith and without deceit.”

We have our own oath. “I come before you today and surrender my life, I ask for forgiveness for walking my own path and I ask you to come into my life and fill me with your spirit. I commit to following you all the days of my life.” This invites Jesus to be Lord. But continue to follow Him. Don't chop and change. Keep walking, even when it seems a long way. Keep connecting, even when God seems distant. Keep being discipled. even when it challenges us. Keep being faithful, even when others have walked away.

We have committed our lives to Christ and we must continue in him.   

3. LET YOUR ROOTS GO DEEP

Let your roots grow down into him,

We let our roots go deep through discipleship. Without discipleship we are like trees in the storm with shallow roots. Like a tree, without deep roots we will fall over in a storm. We want aesthetically pleasing and low maintenance spiritual lives, but if your roots aren't deep in Christ, if you are not a disciple, you may look good but you will fall over in when the storms come. And they will come. If you are planted in Christ, you will not fall over. Get yourself deeply planted in Jesus Christ.  

4.BUILD YOUR LIFE ON CHRIST

And let your lives be built on him.

Build your life on the rock. He is your firm foundation. If you build on Christ your life will be strong and secure. You won't fall away instead you will find strength in Him.

Matthew 7:24-25 Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.

Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

The benefits of the Lordship of Christ are immense! Our life flourishes. Our faith grows strong and our life overflows. If you are planted in Christ your life will be resourced by deeper water.

Philippians 2:9-11 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,to the glory of God the Father.