A Life Well Lived

Notes: A Life Well Lived
Pastor Pedro Garcia visiting from Calvary Chapel Miami
Harvest OC

January 30 2014 -

We are a blessed church. No other church can say that their does an outreach like Harvest does. 

God loves when we sing and praise Him.  God loves to hear it and then He likes to move in our lives. 

Pedro wants to live a well lived life. He wants to invest his life into the things that matter most. The thing that matters most is to be able to stare in the eyes of our savior and creator and hear Him say “Good job, my good and faithful stewart.”

Which is a very difficult task and a seemingly impossible task. 

There is a vast difference between living life well and life going well. When life does not go well, it is a challenge to have a life well lived. 

The Bible is filled with stories of people just like us that go through trials that live life well.

Paul the apostle is one of the people that put his whole heart into everything he did for God.

He was an amazing person for God, yet he went through very extreme challenges. 

2 Corinthians 11:23-28 (NIV)

23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches

How did people like Paul live such amazing lives?

2 Timothy 4:9 (NIV)

9 Be diligent to come to me quickly; 10 for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica—Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry. 12 And Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. 13 Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come—and the books, especially the parchments.14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works.15 You also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words.16 At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them.

The Lord Is Faithful

17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.18 And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Himbe glory forever and ever. Amen!

Come Before Winter

19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus stayed in Corinth, but Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick.
21 Do your utmost to come before winter.
Eubulus greets you, as well as Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brethren.

Farewell

22 The Lord Jesus Christ[b] be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.

Four things that Paul did as a faithful servant of God:

1. Paul live connected: He was connected to the people of God.
1. He understood the importance of the team approach of doing church.
1. He always had people around him
2. Church is not a place that we just come and attend. 
1. We need church as much as the church needs us.
2. The church is a place to be planted. 
1. No person is an island.
2. We were made for relationships.
3. God said it is not good for man to be alone.
1. That is what church is all about.
1. Church is not perfect and neither are the people in the church.
1. God uses our imperfections to make us all beautiful.
2. We don’t get the full service of church by watching it just on the internet.
1. We are missing out on the best part of church if we are not in the church plugged in.
1. The church is where we can build bonds with one another.
1. It does also put us in position to experience heart break.
2. Paul lived free and to trust God
1. Some of the hardest things for us to do is live with the wounds from friends. It can make us resentful and callous.
1. He did not put vengeance in his heart.
2. He would release the people that wronged him from his heart.
1. People will offend you in the church.
1. You need to expect, and stay planted in your church and faith. 
1. Don’t let bitterness hurt you.
1. “Bitterness is like swallowing poison and hope the other person dies”
2. Forgiving others is to release you, not to release them.
1. Jesus said if they will attack him then they will certainly attack us.
3. Paul lived focused
1. He did not let the mess he was in, stop the message he was sent to give.
1. He did not let his circumstances distract him.
1. Good or bad it was to serve his calling, not to hinder it.
1. Going to prison, gave him the ability to spread the word to his captures and guards that were part of the house of caesar.
2. People don’t care how loud you sing when things are going well, they want to hear how loud you sing when things are going bad.
1. “Christians are a lot like tea bags, you don’t know what they are made of until they are placed in hot water.”
3. Lets not let what is happening to us effect what can happen through us.
4. Paul was a man that live aware
1. He lived in the awareness in the presence of God.
1. 2 Tim 4: 16
1. 16 At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. 17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.18 And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Himbe glory forever and ever. Amen!
2. He knew God was always with him.
1. God is always with you, on your side and for you.
2. Some of us could be in a very tough season in life
1. It is a life that doesn’t make sense.
1. Our lives do make sense to God when we give Him our faith.
2. Jeremiah 1: 17 - 19 
3. 17 “Therefore prepare yourself and arise, And speak to them all that I command you.
4. Do not be dismayed before their faces,
   Lest I dismay you before them.
   18 For behold, I have made you this day
   A fortified city and an iron pillar,
   And bronze walls against the whole land—
   Against the kings of Judah,
   Against its princes,
   Against its priests,
   And against the people of the land.
   19 They will fight against you,
   But they shall not prevail against you.
   For I am with you,” says the Lord, “to deliver you.”
3. God will hit you the hardest to prepare you for the best moments of your life.