The Power of Yes #4-Yes to Growth (Part B) 9-6-09
The Power of Yes #4
Yes to Growth!!! (Part B)
9-6-09
People of Yes—Amen
· Review Last week Growth
· Abiding—Teachable—Make Room—Serve/Give—Connect
In Season ahead
· God has fruitfulness/Blessing for you
Yes to His Word
· Psalm 12 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
o Something happens when you DELIGHT in the Word of the Lord
o ‘Chew Your Food’—Taste and See that the Lord is GOOD! Psalms 34:8
· Ps 119:105105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
· How the Word DEVELOPS in our hearts
o Jesus said word like seed
§ In right environment—it produces LIFE/Nourishment
§ We can’t make it GROW—but create ENVIRONMENT
o How does a seed work—
o Works INTO our lives
o Example
§ Not always AWARE of what has been imparted
§ Looks like nothing has happened
§ Germinates
§ Begins to grow INTO our lives
§ Shoots out—fruitfulness develops
§ Examples—develop
Scripture
· Sometimes—as you read—Great Jewels Quickened—just what you are needing
· Other times—down loading
o Don’t worry
o Jack Hayford—what you ate last Thursday still working in you
Many times—hidden word in my heart will spring up with POWER when you need it
§ In the Presence of Mine Enemies—1965-73 POW in Vietnam—Captain Howard Rutledge’s testimony
When say yes, I will put word in my life
· You cultivate environment
· Set yourself up fro GROWTH
That’s why important read Bible
· Pastor Jake—Bible Reading plan
· First Steps class—how to read—get the most out of word
· AWANAS
· SOAP—Scripture—Observation—Application—Prayer
As you say YES to Principle over Flesh
· When flesh says NO to pain
· In Natural—training body—pain
· Therapy—painful, yes—Joy on other side
· Passing the TESTS!
o Forgiving
o Faithful
· Examples
· Whether
o Abraham/Isaac on altar
· OR
o Jesus greatest example
o Matt 22:36
36 Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” 37 He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. 38 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
40 Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? 41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”
42 Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away* unless I drink it, your will be done.”
[1]
WF Chocolate bars testimony
Many times it’s not so dramatic
· Sometimes—faithful—when flesh doesn’t want (define better)
· Give clearer examples of places principle over flesh
· Repenting when stumble or failure
o After we stumble/disappointment—
o Keep pressing IN to God—so Key
o Forgiveness—sin
o Dream died
o Principle
o Forgiveness
o Grief
o Say Yes to Him in midst
You grow when you say YES to principle over what your FLESH wants to do!!
As you Say Yes to Regularly Cultivating Your First Love with the Lord
· Rev 2
“Write this letter to the angel* of the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands:
2 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. 3 You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.
4 “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!* 5 Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches. 6 But this is in your favor: You hate the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do.
7 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God.
[2]
HOW do you do it??
· Just like with GROWTH—cant’ force first love
· But you CAN cultivate the RIGHT ENVIRONMENT where first love can grow
Immersion—Day to Day Faithfulness
Marriage Analogy
· Two parts to love: Immersion/Day to day faithfulness
· Need both
o Faithful—bills/garbage
o Immersion—still date your wife
Relationship with God—need those two things
· Immersion—encounters with God
· Day to day faithfulness—faithful in the small things
You need to intentionally make a PLACE in your day
· In your YEAR
· For immersion
Israelites—presented 3 times a year
· As you sow in—refreshed love comes out.
· Pray—Lord, Renew my First Love!!
· As you say YES to first Love—You will GROW!!
As you Receive/live IN the Father’s blessing
· Power of blessing
o Nature of Father’s blessing—interactive
o Nature of Blessing/covenant—
Biblical Picture full of examples of the POWER of Father’s blessing
· Jacob/Esau—Cheated to get blessing
· We don’t need to cheat to get Father’s blessing!
When you have Father’s blessing—favor—EDGE
· Go farther—faith for life
· When you DON’T—no FAITH—hope
Many Christians don’t BELIEVE Father’s blessing is REALLY for them . . .
Why?
· Accuser lies about God’s Character—‘God’s not REALLY Good’
o Garden—He’s withholding from you . . .
· SHAME—you are a mistake
o Father’s blessing not REALLY for you
Jesus Died to silence lie of accuser
· And to break shame
Father literally standing with BLESSING
· We need to say yes to it
· Receive it—YES this is for ME
· I am His child
· I wear His favor on my life!
· Need to RECEIVE it—lean IN to it
· Grow with it
Yes to Increase--Yes To Harvest-- Yes To Advancing in God's Purposes
· Tie In Vision for YES to the 2nd Service
· Reaching more
· Making room for more
· Serving one—going to the other
· Plugging in
· Making room for more
**
As You Say Yes to the Holy Spirit
"I have much more to say to you. But when He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own, He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come." John 16:12
• He brings wisdom, revelation and understanding. John 16:12
• He gives guidance. Examples: Paul and Barnabas being set apart for ministry, Acts 13:2; Peter's vision for Gentiles, Acts 10:19-20; Paul's ministry in Phrygia and Galatia, Acts 16:6.
• He brings conviction
"When He comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and
righteousness and judgment." John 16:8
• The Greek word used to describe one of the names for the Holy Spirit is very descriptive about His ministry. The word is "Parakletos" which literally means: Counselor; Comforter; Encourager; and, Advocate (John 14:16 and 14:26). These names describe the ministry personality of the Holy Spirit.
o I Corinthians 3:6
6 /I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. [3] /
As you Operate in Healthy Kingdom Boundaries
· Yes/no
· Yes to healthy things—Sabbath . . .
----
* Greek If this cannot pass.
[1]Tyndale House Publishers. (2004). Holy Bible : New Living Translation. "Text edition"--Spine. (2nd ed.) (Mt 26:36-42). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers.
* Or the messenger; also in 2:8, 12, 18.
* Greek You have lost your first love.
[2]Tyndale House Publishers. (2004). Holy Bible : New Living Translation. "Text edition"--Spine. (2nd ed.) (Re 2:1-7). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers.
[3]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.) (1 Co 3:6-7). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.