Above and Ahead

Theme: God empowers you to be prepared and proactive

Above and ahead – Is what Faith is –

Above and ahead - is like a winning runner leaning into the finish line

Proactive, do God‘s word

Profess, speak God‘s word over today.

Prophetic, speak God’s word into the future.

Deuteronomy 28:1–6 NLT

1 “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world. 2 You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord your God: 3 Your towns and your fields will be blessed. 4 Your children and your crops will be blessed. The offspring of your herds and flocks will be blessed. 5 Your fruit baskets and breadboards will be blessed. 6 Wherever you go and whatever you do, you will be blessed.

PART 1 – Be Above it All

look DOWN

Above it all – something more important

See things from God’s perspective

Above means you’re the head and not the tail

You can see things from a higher perspective

Deuteronomy 28:13 NLT

13 If you listen to these commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today, and if you carefully obey them, the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always be on top and never at the bottom.

You are not the tail

You are above - Spiritually

Rest in the finished work of Christ - Hebrews 4

“It’s Already done, I’m already there.”

SEATED in heavenly places

Ephesians 2:6 NLT

6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.

Be Above the FRAY – protection

not directly involved in an angry or difficult struggle or disagreement

Deuteronomy 28:7 (NLT)

7 “The Lord will conquer your enemies when they attack you. They will attack you from one direction, but they will scatter from you in seven!

Above criticism and public opinion

Be Above Financially - freedom

“where” are you financially?

the borrower is the slave to the lender

you are to be ABOVE debt and financial bondage

you are to be AHEAD of your bills – Not behind on bills

“BILLS and debt are BENEATH me!”

You are not to be UNDER water looking up for relief.

“I call my bills paid for.”

“I’m out of the red because I’m the head”

Deuteronomy 28:11–12 NLT

11 “The Lord will give you prosperity in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, blessing you with many children, numerous livestock, and abundant crops. 12 The Lord will send rain at the proper time from his rich treasury in the heavens and will bless all the work you do. You will lend to many nations, but you will never need to borrow from them.

“I don’t pay the bank; the bank pays me” – CD’s money market etc

“companies do not buy my debt, I buy company’s debts” – corporate bonds

“I am blessed to be a blessing”

Be above your circumstances - exemption

“I am ABOVE the situation”

“problems are BENEATH me!”

“I am ABOVE my past.” – even if people remind me

Romans 8:1 NLT

1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

Hit ABOVE your weight class - success

Joshua 23:10 NLT

10 Each one of you will put to flight a thousand of the enemy, for the Lord your God fights for you, just as he has promised.

- ministry and life of excellence

“I can do the work of three people”

“I can perform tasks - with excellence - with no formal training”

“ I will be promoted ahead of my peers, even those more qualified”

You’re not trying to get ahead you were already seated in heavenly places.

Be ABOVE Sickness

You’re not the sick trying to get healed – because that is below - trying to climb up.

You are the whole that sickness is trying to attach to

“My body is strong” especially my immune system

“sickness and disease are far from me”

KEEP your head UP - positive attitude

maintain your victory!

God’s spirit gives you a HEADS UP in life

Spirit of seeing and knowing

your head is not buried in the sand or in the weeds.

PART 2 – You are AHEAD - look OUT

Be Ahead of your TIME

Know things in advance - by the Holy Spirit

John 14:17 NLT

17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.

Ephesians 1:17 NLT

17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.

Be Ahead of the PACK - leadership

You are not struggling to get by, clawing your way out, climbing UP a ladder

“I have no glass ceiling – whether in business, society, or spiritually.”

“I will live up to my full potential in Christ”

Be Ahead of the CURVE - advantage

definitions:

· ahead of current thinking or trends

· faster about doing something than others

Look to the future

Declare what kind of day you want to have.

think ahead

Plan ahead - begin in bed – before you start your day

Spiritual gifts show you things in advance- word of wisdom, prophecy.

Anticipate needs and actions needed

Don’t Scare, but Prepare

Issachar knew the times and what to do

Jesus gave us His Word about the end times –

why? Not to scare us but To prepare us. – So we can warn others

The 5 foolish virgins were unprepared. Even though all 10 virgins slept - God’s grace has limits.

Theory - God’s grace does not completely cover lack of preparation or discipline.

Be Ahead of the GAME - prosperity

to know more about the goal than the competitors

How? be Read up and knowledgeable

Have a long-term plan – such as a ten-year business plan, a personal financial plan, or retirement plan, etc.

God’s children are not to run behind in life – playing “catch up” – on sleep, work, bills, etc.

We are not ignorant of the enemy’s devices – 2 Cor 2:11

“I am ahead of the situation”

“I step over land mines”

“I will not get caught in traps”

Jesus’ obedience of love made Him the HEAD of the CHURCH

Philippians 2:8–11 NLT

8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Call to Action: Follow Christ to the TOP

GET ahead and STAY ahead

“I am following the example of Jesus’ obedience of love, therefore

I am working FROM victory – not for victory.”

because the greater One lives in me!”