Sermon Notes: Share Your Oxygen Mask...

Sermon Notes June 10, 2018

Praise the Lord! Our Pastor was back in the pulpit Sunday! That is an answer to many prayers and a miracle of God...Thank you for your prayers over the past several weeks on his behalf. He truly was very close to heaven during this time...but I believe he heard the Lord saying, "Not just yet! I've still got more work for you to do!"

And so yesterday was a time of rejoicing for our little congregation and for our Pastor and his wife.

They were very thankful to be back "home" with their church family.

I heard the Pastor say several times, "I missed my family"...meaning this church family...

and I can see why...they truly love him and one another,

and they definitely love the Lord.

And that is how it should be.

Scripture Passage:

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NKJV)

1.  "To everything there is a season,

A time for every purpose under heaven:

2.  A time to be born,

and a time to die;

A time to plant,

and a time to pluck what is planted;

3.  A time to kill, 

and a time to heal;

A time to break down,

and a time to build up;

4.  A time to weep,

and a time to laugh;

A time to mourn,

and a time to dance;

5.  A time to cast away stones,

and a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace;

and a time to refrain from embracing;

6.  A time to gain,

and a time to lose;

A time to keep,

and a time to throw away;

7.  A time to tear,

and a time to sew;

A time to keep silence,

and a time speak;

8.  A time to love,

and a time to hate;

A time of war,

and a time of peace."

"Lord...may Your people see through me and see You..."

Some things to think about...
Have you ever been on a trip on an airplane?  Think about everything that is going on as you get ready for departure...you put your bag up in the overhead and settle down in your seat, and then the flight attendant starts giving instructions...and oftentimes we are so busy settling ourselves in that we really don't listen much to what the attendant is saying...

But think for a minute about the instructions for what to do if the plane should start to lose pressure...the oxygen mask drops down from above your seat...and what does the flight attendant tell you to do?  You know the drill:  Put your mask on first and then help someone next to you who may need assistance...

Internet Photo

That oxygen mask is like salvation...We hear the gospel...we accept God's free gift of salvation for ourselves...and then we are supposed to pass it on to someone next to us...our family, our children, our neighbor, our co-workers...but we get so busy...and we aren't really paying attention to the instructions...

However, if you're on that airplane and that oxygen mask drops down you stop everything and put that mask on and then help your neighbor...because you know it could mean life or death for you or them...

In life we get too comfortable to do what we are supposed to be doing...."Go, make disciples..."
We've been blessed to receive that gift...but we're too comfortable to get up and reach out to our neighbor...we may not even know our neighbor...

Now, don't just bust out and do it once and then get comfortable again..."That was a season in time" (like in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)..."and now I don't need to do it again..."

We need to set aside time to pray for our neighbor, nation, community, family...

God will use us in one way or another...or He'll interrupt our lives...wake us up...perhaps give us an opportunity to speak to people we would never have had before...(Pastor gave personal examples of being in the hospital and all the new opportunities he had to talk to many people)

God will find a way to interrupt our lifestyle...the situation is urgent...everyone needs this oxygen mask of salvation...

The flight attendant gave the instructions...God's Word has given us instructions...we need to listen...we need to share and help others with their oxygen mask of salvation...

People may ask you when you are sharing this good news with them..."Isn't it hard to become a Christian?"  No...it's a free gift...we didn't have to do anything to earn this...

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, 

in that while we were still sinners, 

Christ died for us..." 

Romans 5:8

And this is how simple it is:  

"For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Romans 10:13

"And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Acts 2:21 and Joel 2:32

And for us who already have on our "oxygen mask" of salvation, and to not help our neighbor with theirs...we are like the one mentioned in James 4:17 ~

"Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, 

to him it is sin."

And the way for this "oxygen mask" to have a lasting, positive effect is to...

• grab onto the Gospel of Jesus Christ ourselves first...(His Oxygen Mask of Salvation)
• share His free gift of salvation with others creatively...Jesus Christ died for us...
• listen to Him...take the gospel out into the world...
• There is always an opportunity--always a chance to share the love we have for Jesus Christ
• Don't wait for God to "interrupt your lifestyle" to do this...

I challenge you to share the Gospel with someone this week...maybe they need some encouragement to fully understand the grace of Jesus Christ...

Share your oxygen mask of salvation through Jesus Christ with another person this week...

Lord, empower us to have boldness to take the Name of Jesus with us...Amen.

Internet Photo

Please Note : I want to repeat this disclaimer here...the notes, outline, and content included here are based upon my own personal understanding of the message that was being given.  I am not attempting to completely quote or reproduce this message or any other message I've shared previously.  Just as each person reading these notes may glean insights and thoughts that seem to directly apply to one's own situation and interpretation, my own delivery of these messages is skewed by my hearing and translation of what is being said.  Some may read my notes here and wonder if they were hearing the same message as I...and I say, God speaks to each of us as He wills...there are things He is trying to get across to each individual that may be entirely different than what the person sitting next to you in the pew is needing to hear...  That is how the Holy Spirit works! He knows what we need to hear and how to apply it to our hearts.  So it is with that understanding that I present these sermon notes to you.

Sermon notes from FUMC, Interlachen, FL, 6/10/2018, Pastor A.C. Myers

Postscript:  Personal Note:  Later this week we will be flying on an airplane to Maine to see our grandson graduate! You can bet I'll be paying attention to the flight attendant talking about the oxygen mask on this trip. I HOPE we don't have to use it...but I'll be thinking about this message and praying for ways to share this "oxygen mask" with others.  Have a blessed week, my friends.  I may not get back on here for a few days since we are busy getting ready to travel, etc....