Date preached: 13/08/23.

Arawa LHC

Prayer needs:
Ps Dax & Rose

Welcome out to LHC:

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Illustration:

What a story:

IOT:

TEXT: MATT 25 NEW KING JAMES VERSION

TITLE: THE MOST NEGLECTED PLACE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD

POINT 1: THERE ARE A LOT OF PLACES

1. Places are important!

Before God created people, He created a place.
a. In the very beginning God created the garden of Eden. A place of provision,
protection.

2. Jesus spoke about 2 places: Heaven & Hell.

a. In MATT 25:41 He describes hell as a place…
1. Reserved for those who reject Christ!
2. Created for the devil and his angels.
41
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you
cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:

b. In JOHN 14:1 Jesus says.

 14 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In
My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told
[a] [b]

you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I
will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be
also.

3. Places are important in the church.

a. Paul writes in 1 Corin 12:18-31 Talks about the body of Christ.

In reference to the church, and he says everyone plays an important role in the church.

1 CORINTHIANS 12:18 NKJV BUT NOW GOD HAS SET THE

MEMBERS, EACH ONE OF THEM, IN THE BODY JUST AS HE
PLEASED.
NIV… GOD HAS PLACED THE PARTS IN THE BODY, EVERY ONE OF
THEM, JUST AS HE WANTED THEM TO BE

4. There are places we pursue or desire to be in the Kingdom.

There are certain aspirations, dreams.
a. Desire to teach in Sunday school.
b. Men some of you may feel the call to preach!
c. Somebody has a heart to serve as an Usher/greeter.
You feel a call to a foreign field.

There are many places in the Kingdom of God.

There is one place, that I have come to preach about!

Illustration: Ask the lord a question? Lord what is my place?

Lord what is it that you want me to do?

Saul converted to Paul: What is it you want me to do?

 The Secret place! Of Prayer & fellowship.

Stay awhile in the presence of God.

We can get so focused on what is next that we miss what is now!

5. Thankful for every accomplishment, grateful to God for every opportunity.

That you and I have made in this place.
6. But I’ve got to preach today that too many times in our pursuit.
2
 a. Our pursuit towards our Passions…
b. Our pursuit towards our dreams.
c. Our pursuit towards what is next.

That we neglect the most important place in the Kingdom of God!

Its not a stage, Its not a mic, its not another country, Its not a platform, it’s not
an instrument.

IT’S THE SECRET PLACE OF PRAYER & FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD!

We can get so focused on what is next that we miss what is now!

7. Neglected: means to be ignored, overlooked, forgotten, disregarded.

It is possible to desire direction over devotion.
position over posture

POINT 2: THE BATTLE OF THE SECRET PLACE

Secret place of prayer or the secret place of sin.

You are either sinning in secret or praying in secret.

Your secret place is your safest place.

Psalm 91:1 he that dwelt in the secret place….

Abiding in the shadow of the almighty… “I will say of the lord”

When you leave that place with the Lord, you have a few things to say about that place.

POINT 3: STAND YOUR GROUND & GUARD THE WINDOW