Not Just Stories - Part 9
Not Just Stories • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Author Kathy Crabtree calls John 1:10 “The Greatest Plot Twist Ever”
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
Staying on Course in a World Full of Detours
Staying on Course in a World Full of Detours
1 My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands;
2 For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you.
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart,
4 And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
1) Staying on Course Requires Trusting in God
1) Staying on Course Requires Trusting in God
trust = to believe, have faith, to be confident, unsuspecting
If you're unsuspecting, you are innocent and trusting. Not suspicious. Not knowing or expecting; not thinking likely. (vocabulary.com)
The Heart
- In Hebrew thought, the heart ("lev") is the center of one's inner life, encompassing mind, will, and emotions. It is where true intentions and motivations reside.
1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
2 But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
3 Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!”
Genesis 15:4–6 (NKJV)
4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.”
5 Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”
6 And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
2) Human Reasoning Can Take You in the Wrong Direction (While Seeming Right)
2) Human Reasoning Can Take You in the Wrong Direction (While Seeming Right)
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
understanding = the capacity for rational thought or inference or discrimination
in·fer·ence [ˈinf(ə)rəns] noun
a conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning:
discrimination - noun
1 a: prejudiced or prejudicial outlook, action, or treatment
b: the act, practice, or an instance of discriminating categorically rather than individually
2: the quality or power of finely distinguishing
3: the act of making or perceiving a difference
2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the hearts.
2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the spirits.
Abraham trusted but when his faith wavered, he applied his own thought, his own reasoning, and was unable to distinguish it from God’s will.
1 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar.
2 So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai.
3 Then Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan.
4 So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her eyes.
When Abram relied on human reasoning, he excluded Sarai from the God’s plan and God’s promise.
God wanted to bless Abram AND Sarai with a child - not just Abraham.
It is often easier to just do it ourselves rather than including God or others.
3) Trusting Involves the Surrendered Mind
3) Trusting Involves the Surrendered Mind
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
The Heart
- In Hebrew thought, the heart ("lev") is the center of one's inner life, encompassing mind, will, and emotions. It is where true intentions and motivations reside.
It is what we might call the soul. The soul encompasses the mind, the will, and the emotions.
Why is that necessary?
25 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Derek Prince’s devotional on Day 23: “Response Determines Effect”
Yesterday we read in 1 Thessalonians 2:13 that God's Word is active in those who believe.
13 For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.
However, the Bible also makes it plain that the manner and the degree in which it works in any given instance are decided by the response of those who hear it. For this reason James says:
21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
Before the Word of God can be received into the soul with saving effect, there are certain things which must be laid aside. The two things James specifies are “filthiness” and “wickedness,” or naughtiness.
On the other hand, naughtiness particularly suggests the bad behaviour of a child. We call a child “naughty” when he refuses to accept instruction or correction from his senior but argues and answers back. This attitude is often found in the unregenerate soul toward God. Several passages of Scripture refer to this attitude.
2 “Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? He who rebukes God, let him answer it.”
20 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?”
John Bevere said, “If you find yourself arguing with God, give up. You are going to lose.”
4) Trusting is Leaning Away From My Will and Leaning Into His Will
4) Trusting is Leaning Away From My Will and Leaning Into His Will
8 Good and upright is the Lord; Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.
9 The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way.
12 Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses.
14 The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant.
Kansas State Basketball Coach Jerome Tang:
MSN Sports Article: K-State’s Jerome Tang ‘had no intentions’ of starting Dug McDaniel. Why he did it anyway
It’s no secret that Jerome Tang and Dug McDaniel have an icy relationship.
Tang has probably used more tough love on his point guard this season than he has with any other player during his three-year coaching stint with the Kansas State men’s basketball team.
McDaniel arrived at K-State last spring as a high-profile transfer from Michigan, but he has failed to live up to expectations. So much so that it has been difficult for him to earn a spot in the starting lineup. Last time out against Wichita State, Tang benched McDaniel after just five minutes.
No wonder Tang describes his bond with McDaniel as “good” but not “great.”
With that in mind, it came as a major surprise when Tang gave McDaniel his second start of the season for K-State’s conference opener against Cincinnati. But the strategy paid dividends when McDaniel helped the Wildcats pull off a 70-67 upset by scoring 17 points and sending out two assists on Monday at Bramlage Coliseum.
“He just adds swag,” Tang said afterward. “Look at his speed. I think (Cincinnati senior) Day Day Thomas is one of the fastest guards in the country and those guys were off balance because of his speed. He gave the other guys confidence. The coach in me is going to see his turnovers, but all the other things he did made the game easier. And he was locked in defensively.”
McDaniel must have done something special in practice to earn that kind of opportunity from his coach, right?
Here is what makes Tang’s decision to start McDaniel against Cincinnati even more interesting than it appeared on the surface: He didn’t want to do it.
“I’m going to tell you the truth,” Tang said. “I had no intentions of starting Dug.”
Tang said he didn’t like McDaniel’s body language during practice over the weekend and he was downright mad about it. But when he brought it up during a meeting with his coaching staff, one of his assistants had the ultimate contrarian idea.
Why don’t we just start him? That’s what he wants. Maybe we’ll get more buy-in from him.
At first, Tang hated the suggestion. It ticked him off. Tang didn’t think McDaniel deserved to be in the starting lineup when other point guards like David Castillo and CJ Jones were working harder than him behind the scenes.
But the word “deserve” stuck with him. There is a Bible verse that Tang likes to use to motivate his team that mentions the term “undeserved privilege.”
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
It’s something he thinks all of humanity benefits from, and in this instance it struck a chord with him. Maybe putting McDaniel in the starting lineup would bring out the best in him.
Tang prayed on the idea and ultimately felt like he was being called to start McDaniel against Cincinnati.
So that is what he did, saying it wasn’t “a great coaching move.”
“Dug is a really good player, and he can continue to get better,” Tang said. “I’m very thankful that God slapped me in the face and challenged me to set my ego aside.”
Tang’s faith in McDaniel was rewarded.
The coach told him why he was starting him and that it must be because God loves him and he had to obey God:
Often, relying on our human reasoning precludes us from including others in God’s plan and limits the promise of blessing in their lives.
5) Trust is Built On the Awareness of God’s Character
5) Trust is Built On the Awareness of God’s Character
Trusting in the Lord is not Blind Trust
5 Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
6 In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.
Acknowledge = to accept (someone) to be what is claimed
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.
3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.
5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Who is God?
5 Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord.
6 And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth,
Exodus 34:7a (NKJV)
7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin,
30 As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly.
12 O Lord of hosts, Blessed is the man who trusts in You!
1 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,
3 To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
9 Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles, And their offspring among the people. All who see them shall acknowledge them, That they are the posterity whom the Lord has blessed.”
42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,
45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,
47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
6) Trusting Involves Appropriate Action
6) Trusting Involves Appropriate Action
2 Kings 18:1–5 (NKJV)
1 Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea the son of Elah, king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign.
2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah.
3 And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done.
4 He removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it Nehushtan.
5 He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him.
David Livingstone Story:
Missionary returns to Scotland - Few there- Rainy & Cold - Mostly Older People - God had Given Him a Word to Raise Up People to Go to Africa
Ends with: “Who will Go?”
Little boy pumping the bellows for the organ - “I will go.”
David Livingstone
Become a Dr. & Go as a Medical Missionary
He did.
After a few years: Trying to reach a certain people group. The chief sends a message that he is going to kill everyone in his compound/camp.
He writes a prayer of protection in his diary.
They never came.
Two years later, village saved - they did come but saw 39 giants
a few years later: Home Church in Scotland
Checks date and the attendance roster: They were in a prayer meeting and praying for Dr. Livingstone - Only 39 people came that night.
