The Cause Decided

(Acts 11:21) “The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.”   Title of Message: The Cause Decided   (Mark 16:15) He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.   Will you follow Jesus?   I Have Decided:   1.    To Let Go (2 Corinthians 4:4) “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (Hebrews 2:1) “We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” (Jeremiah 29:13-14) “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD. 2.    To Live (Romans 6:3-4) Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.   (Colossians 2:12-13) For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.  You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins.   (Deuteronomy 30:19) “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!   3.    To Learn   (Hebrews 6:1) “Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity...”   (Proverbs 23:12) “Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.” 4.    To Love   (John 13:34-35) (NLV) I give you a new Law. You are to love each other. You must love each other as I have loved you. If you love each other, all men will know you are My followers.   (2 Corinthians 5:19-20) God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.