05.18.11 - The Power Of Hope

Matt 8:2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. KJV

The Power of Hope

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

9:07 AM

1. 1. Looking Ahead

1. a. In the New Testament, the word "hope," as used in 1 Corinthians 13:13 literally means expectation or confidence. Scriptural hope is expecting  and having confidence, not in ourselves, but in the Almighty. The Bible teaches us that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers (Ephesians 6:12)  We begin to lose hope when we try to handle situations in our own power (flesh and blood), might and strength that cannot possibly be overcome in human strength and wisdom. Battles sometimes are fought and lost because the Lord has not been asked, or worse, allowed, to fight them for us. We tend to lean on experiences we have had in the past to determine how things are going to go in our future (Discuss this point).  After a few failed attempts at fighting a "losing battle" we then begin to lose confidence that things can get better or that we can ultimately gain the victory in certain situations. We must retrain ourselves to think differently. If God be for us, then who can be against us (Romans 8:31)?  The God of the universe has our best interest at heart.  Instead of looking at the way things have always been (fighting the battles, temptations, obstacles, flesh ourselves), we must look ahead at what Christ has prepared for us.  God has made a way for us to have victory. Failure and doubt should not rule our daily lives but hope should lead us past our past!

1. i. Phil 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus KJV

1. 1. Can you remember a time where you tried to handle on your own what only God alone could take care of?

1. 2. The Way I See It

1. a. Can you list some situations that some might consider hopeless, without hope?

1. b. Have you personally ever been in a situation that seemed hopeless?

1. c. There are many, many instances in the Scripture that as we are reading through it would seem that there is no hope; that things are as bad as they could possibly get. Then as we read a few more verses things do in fact get worse. Circumstances arise, seemingly out of nowhere that seem intent to ensure that all hope is completely crushed. 

1. i. Time and again Moses went before Pharaoh.  Time and again things just got worse.  Notice that Moses was looking at each experience, adding them up, thus determining what the next encounter would be like.  He was not "reaching forth" to what God had already promised.  Hope was there, hope was available, he just chose to not have it!

1. ii. Servant after servant came and each with bad news worse than the one before.  A wife that hurt so badly her advice was just to curse God and die, friends that were convinced of wrongdoing and sin.  Thus the day goes for Job. Hope abideth in Job! (1 Cor 13:13)

1. 1. Job 13:15 Though he slay me , yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. 16 He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.KJV

1. a. Job did not pretend that all was well, but he did not lose sight of his Salvation either.  He looked forward.  Hope looks forward, looking past the past, looking past the present, looking to a better day.  Having a full confidence in better things ahead.

1. d. The way I see it, there are just very few situations that are truly hopeless.  Those would be the ones that Christ has been shoved out of entirely and is not allowed to minister and move. Where Christ is, there is HOPE. 

1. e. Whatever situations you are facing, whatever obstacles have been put in your path, choose to expect something better than yesterday left you with  If you think things cannot get any better, change your mind!  Be transformed and renewed (Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. KJV) and set out to PROVE that God's will for your life is a better tomorrow by having hope.

1. 3. A Mighty Big Word

1. a. IF & I WILL 

1. i. In Matthew 8:2, the leper had thought this out.  He had seen his healing in his mind, in his heart.  He knew the One to which he came could heal him, but was without full assurance that He wanted to.  You and I have his account for a reason, to show us that God's answer to our ifs is I WILL.  Two words took the hope and faith of the leper and healing came! I WILL was what Jesus said.  We MUST surrender our "ifs" to His "I WILL." too many times we come to the Lord with the whole "if" factor, which can just chew up our hope.  If it's His will. If I've been good enough. If, if, if! Child of God His answer is I WILL!!!!

1. 1. Have you ever taken a request to the Lord with the if factor?

1. 2. How does knowing the Word and Will of God according to the Bible help us to deal with the if factor?

05.05.11 - The High Calling

The High Calling

1. 1. 1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light KJV

Monday, September  16, 2013

1:38 PM

God first calls us to His Kingdom, then He places us within His Kingdom.  Our placement or ministry in the Kingdom of God NEVER supercedes our calling to be like Christ.

1. 1. The Call - To Be Like Christ 

1. a. Paul writes in Philippians 3 of his desire to be like Christ, to have a personal relationship with the Lord who saved him. Consider his words:

1. i. "that I may win Christ"

1. ii. "and be found in Him"

1. iii. "that I may know Him"

1. iv. "being made conformable unto His death"

1. v. "but I follow after"

1. 1. Notice that these statements are in reference to relationship with Christ, and not Paul's calling to be an apostle.

1. b. Phil 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. KJV

1. i. The "mark" that Paul was referring to was not to be a better apostle, but to be more like Christ.  This was his first calling, his first priority.  Paul knew that no matter what ministry he was called to, no matter where life took him, no matter how great or how abased he was, that it was his High Calling to be like Christ Jesus.

1. c. Matt 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted ? it is thenceforth good for  nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 14 Ye are the light of the world. KJV

1. i. Our first priority as a Christian is to be Christ-like. We may be told as a Christian we need to stop doing this, start doing that, wear this and don't wear that, say this and stop saying that.  We need to go to Church, we need to pay our tithe, we need to reach the lost and all of those things may be true, but our first priority is to be like Jesus.  When we set our hearts to be like Jesus, to win Him, to know Him, to be made conformable to Him, we cannot help but to become more like the Lord.  

1. ii. When we just "do" what we think the Lord would do and do not actually become like Him, we are like the salt in Matthew 5, we loose our saltiness, we loose our passion. There is a danger of becoming lukewarm if we are only imitating Christ and not becoming like Him, there is a difference.  Actors on television can move our emotions with they well played parts on the big screen, but in reality, they are still just actors.  

1. 1. How can we tell if we have lost our saltiness?

1. 2. If we are salt and light as the Bible teaches us (and we are) what happens when we lose our passion, when we begin to NOT be like Christ?  

1. 3. What does it say to the world we are trying to reach if there is no "salt" and "light" in our lives?

1. 2. The Call - Kingdom Placement

1. a. 1 Cor 12:18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. KJV

1. i. God has a divine placement, a wonderful assignment, a job for each of us.  Ephesians teaches us about apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists and pastors.  God will place us in the Body of Christ, in His Kingdom, as He chooses.  Our effectiveness in ministry does not come from our title, or how many people we can influence or who knows our name, our effectiveness in ministry placement comes from understanding that our High Calling comes before our ministry calling or placement. Paul was concerned about reaching people with the Gospel, but his greater concern was that he become conformed to the image of Christ.  In becoming conformed to the image of Christ, he in turn reached more people with the Gospel.  Had he sought the latter first, he would not have succeeded in either to the extent that he did.

1. ii. We can become so enthralled with a title or position that we can forget why God put us there in the first place.  It is not about us, it is about Him.  We are where we are for a reason. To be like Christ.  The stars did not have a voice to argue about where God put them in the night sky, their job is simply to shine.  We have a voice, we can argue and disagree and not understand, but at the end of the day, our job is to shine where He has placed us .  We are to lift Him up by being like Him.  

1. iii. When God used Moses to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, many did not make it to the promised land because of grumbling and complaining.  When we loose focus on our High Calling (to be like Christ) and our Kingdom placement (to shine where He puts us) we may stumble around in the wilderness for year and years

1. 1. Have you ever been frustrated or unsatisfied with a situation that you "forgot to shine?"

1. 2. To many times we try to "do" our calling instead of just being like Christ.  Ministry will flow from who we are and not what we do.  If we are Christlike, ministry will happen, His way.

1. 3. Do you know what your calling is?  If not, how can just being like Christ grow the Kingdom and glorify Him?