Today we are going to look at the question ‘Are You ready for God in Action?’
God is asking His people if they are ready to go into action when He starts to work in or make changes in the world, especially in their own community!
How will WE handle His mighty power at work around us?
John Grady, in his book ‘Don’t be Afraid said the Lord’, states: ‘When God is about to do something significant that in some way involves us, scripture reveals that He will prepare us with these words, “do not be afraid.” ‘
He continues with: ‘In these days before the return of Jesus Christ, in His great wisdom He has chosen to use us…. We in the Body of Christ are on the edge of a tipping point of destiny and are being stretched or are about to be stretched so He can use us in His plans that He pre-ordained before we were created…. He is going to take us from our comfortable, lukewarm walk with Him and ignite within us a holy fire passion of intimacy and trust with Him so we will rise up and fulfill our calling and purpose in Him.’1
John 14:15-21 NIV
15 “If you love me, keep my commands.
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—
17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.
20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.
21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
Jesus clearly tells us that He is still alive and still active in our lives if we allow Him to work in us. The only thing stopping us from doing much with God is our own reluctance or weak faith. Jesus gave us this passage to encourage our faith and commitment.
We do need to realize that Jesus wants us to stand firm even in the tough times so that He can help us through it.
Hebrews 10:32-39 NIV
32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering.
33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated.
34 You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.
35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.
37 For, “In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.” [Isaiah 26:20; Hab. 2:3]
38 And, “But my righteous one will live by faith.
And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.” [Hab.2:4]39 But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.
Faith does not make things easy, it makes them possible.
Luke 1:37 NIV
For nothing is impossible with God!
William Carey’s great statement: “Ask Great Things of God, Expect Great Things From God.”
The greatest thing from God is the Holy Spirit! We are to trust and rely on the Holy Spirit for guidance and protection.
John 14:22-27 NIV
22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”
23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.
24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
25 “All this I have spoken while still with you.
26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Waldie Neufeld, President of PRBI, sent a letter to supporters this month. In it he quoted one of the students, which I will read to you now.
“Emily wrote, I came to PRBI knowing that I needed to follow God, but skeptical of the ‘abundant life’ I had heard about so often. In my time there I was able to study Scripture and then apply it as I related to others, all the while being coached by team members who were willing to answer my questions and point me back to Christ again and again. Experiencing discipleship in such a hands-on way has shown me what a living, vibrant relationship with God looks like, and has brought life to my faith.”
That same environment of discipleship is here in this church which is why we see the life in the church!
1 Cor 11:1 NIV
“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”
1 Cor 11:1 NKJV
“Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.”
1 Peter 3:8-17 NIV
8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.
9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
10 For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech.
11 They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” [ Psalm 34:12-16]13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?
14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” [Isaiah 8:12]
I asked God, “Why are you taking me through troubled water?” He replied, “Because your enemies can’t swim!”2
15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
17 For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.
Denys Blackmore, President/CEO of Every Home for Christ, states:
“The antidote for fear is the glorious Gospel of Christ. It brings transformative hope into personal experience. You and I have experienced its special blessings through the journey of life as we have walked with the Lord. Yet there is so much that can still be done to help others know.” 3
I want to give you a few famous quotes I found in the book ‘Living Forward’. I want to encourage you to think on these and see if you are ready to go with God as He works mightily in this community.
John Pierpont ‘JP’ Morgan, “The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you’re not going to stay where you are.” 4
Oliver Wendall Holmes, “To reach a port we must sail, sometimes with the wind, and sometimes against it. But we must not drift or lie at anchor.” 5
Thomas Carlyle is quoted in ‘Living Forward’, “The man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder.” 6
Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland, is quoted in ‘Living Forward’:
“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.
“I don’t much care where—” said Alice.
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat. 7
John 14:12 NIV
12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
“As you are filled with the Holy Spirit, the Bible becomes alive, prayer becomes vital, your witness becomes effective and obedience becomes a joy!”
Then you are ready for the action that God is going to do around you!
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