TITLE: How to Receive God's Blessings

2. TITLE: How to Receive God's Blessings TEXT: Hebrews 6:7-12 THEME: The believer should imitate faithful believers to receive God's blessing.

4. "IF YOU ARE WITHERING - LOOK OUT! BECAUSE YOU’RE PROBABLY BEGINNING TO DIE! BUT THERE’S HOPE!!"

5. John 15:4 "Remain in me, and I will remain in you." If your relationship with Christ is to be fresh, vibrant and exciting you need to remain in him.

7. How can you receive the blessing of God?

8. I. Focus on producing the things that promote God’s blessings. (7-9)

9. Hebrews 6:7-9 7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.

10. Hebrews 6:7-9 9 Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation.

11. I. Focus on producing the things that promote God’s blessings. (7-9) The law of the harvest: A. Land that produces a useful product receives the blessing of God.

12. I. Focus on producing the things that promote God’s blessings. (7-9) The law of the harvest: A. Land that produces a useful product receives the blessing of God. B. Land that produces a useless product risks purging.

13. Speaker at Retreat “If the statistics are right, two thirds of you will no longer be walking with the Lord at your graduation.” To college students at NYC College.

15. How can you receive the blessing of God?

16. II. Love God and help His people. (10-11)

17. Hebrews 6:10-11 10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized.

18. II. Love God and help His people. (10-11) A. God’s justice rewards- He will not forget your work

19. John15:5-8 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

20. John15:5-8 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

21. John15:5-8 9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete

22. John15:5-8 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ..17 This is my command: Love each other.

23. I John 4: 7-12 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love…

24. I John 4: 7-12 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

26. II. Love God and help His people. (10-11) A. God’s justice rewards- He will not forget your work

27. II. Love God and help His people. (10-11) A. God’s justice rewards- He will not forget your work. B. Keepat it- your hope will be fully realized.

28. II. Love God and help His people. (10-11) A. God’s justice rewards- He will not forget your work. B. Keepat it- your hope will be fully realized. Don’t get impatient. Stay the course no matter how hard.

29. John "They persisted. That was a big deal that they persisted with us."

31. How can you receive the blessing of God?

32. III. Imitate those who have already received it. (12)

33. Hebrews 6:12 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

34. III. Imitate those who have already received it. (12) A. Do not become lazy.

35. III. Imitate those who have already received it. (12) A. Do not become lazy. B. Through faith and patience they inherited what had been promised.

36. Persistence It doesn't matter whether it's athletics or academics, music or math. There are no shortcuts. There are no substitutes. Success is a derivative of persistence. Mark Batterson, The Circle Maker (Zondervan, 2011), pp. 134-135

38. APPLICATION It may be that you’re withering because • you’re too comfortable and it makes you forgetful of responsibility to God.

39. APPLICATION It may be that you’re withering because • you’re too comfortable and it makes you forgetful of responsibility to God. • you’re too habitual (stuck in a rut) and need to have some change.

40. APPLICATION It may be that you’re withering because • you’re too comfortable and it makes you forgetful of responsibility to God. • you’re too habitual (stuck in a rut) and need to have some change. • you’re too judgemental when you need to be forgiving.

41. APPLICATION It may be that you’re withering because • you’re too comfortable and it makes you forgetful of responsibility to God. • you’re too habitual (stuck in a rut) and need to have some change. • you’re too judgemental when you need to be forgiving. • you’re too lazy when you need to be more available and diligent.

42. APPLICATION It may be that you’re withering because • you’re too comfortable and it makes you forgetful of responsibility to God. • you’re too habitual (stuck in a rut) and need to have some change. • you’re too judgemental when you need to be forgiving. • you’re too lazy when you need to be more available and diligent. • you’re too busy and you need to make time for loving God and others.

44. Keep Moving Forward