Hard Desicions

Keys to Spiritual Authority

How have you been stewarding intensity this year?

What is God speaking to you right now?

Where is my Marketplace?

As leaders of our families, businesses, ministry, church

“You don’t do hard so you can do easy, You do hard so you can do harder tomorrow.” -John Maxwell

Your ability to handle difficulty today will determine the level in which you can achieve tomorrow

Professional sports

Baseball players

Hitting pitching

Handle dirtier, nastier, faster

Hitting Against Tim Lincecum

Spokane

Hit a grand slam

The at bat before

When everyones hitting it’s a party

When you’re the only one hitting that’s a leader

My dad and I are the only that remembered that grand slam

NOC- no one cares

No one cares that you can lead when it’s easy

How do you lead when it’s not?

Respect is built on difficult ground

I want to talk to you about the evolution of Jesus spiritual authority through decision making

4 Keys to Spiritual Authority-Hard decisions

Learning is the first key to tough decision making

Luke 2:46–49 NKJV

46 Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. 48 So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.” 49 And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”

He had to learn how to make the right decision before they arose

Had to have a biblical reference when it comes to natural decisions

Proverbs 3:5–6 NKJV

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.

Jesus had to learn who he was and what God was wanting to do with him

I’ve learned enough about God’s will for my life that His will feels normal for my life

Now I know when I’m out of it

2. Submit to Authority

John 2:1–8 NKJV

1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3 And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” 4 Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” 6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it.

Jesus knew that the authority he was going walk in would be determined by the submission he adhered to

Authority doesn’t come without submission

Submission without disagreement is just agreement

Matthew 26:39 NKJV

39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

I don’t think Jesus was afraid of the torture as much as he was as the wrath of God that he had to endure for us

2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV

21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

3. Self-Denial

Matthew 4:1–11 NKJV

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” 5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” 7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ” 8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” 11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

You cannot be a leader without denying yourself

How are you going to teach people discipleship without personal discipline?

People see through your weakness

You can’t deny yourself

The loudest is usually the weakest

Jesus had to learn the plan

Submit to it

Deny himself from sin but also taking the plan in the wrong direction

What is a disciple?

Jesus say in Matthew 28

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

Not just believing but obedience

It takes discipline to be a disciple

you have to check yourself to the word

you have to be able to be corrected

Correction has become such a dirt word

What is required of disciples?

Mark 8:34–37 NKJV

34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Deny is a very strong word here:

to affirm that one has no acquaintance or connection with someone

to forget one's self, lose sight of one's self and one's own interests

Disown, refuse to associate with, refuse to be in companionship, separate

Refuse to associate with yourself

Forget about you, your interests, your desires

Exchange them for HIs

Give up you

Self improvement vs. Self Denial

The original sin was self improvement at the cost of diss-obedience

The original plan was 100% reliance and obedience to God

Satan said God doesn’t know what he’s talking about

You want surely die

Your missing out on something

“Man in his spiritual pride has exchanged God’s method of self-denial for Satan’s plan of self–improvement.” ― Daniel W. Blair

Self improvement says how do I improve my situation

Self denial focuses on improving the His kingdom

Self improvement hides the areas we are weak in and focuses on quick success

Self-denial cuts off any areas that are not producing fruit

Self-improvement is the improvement of one’s knowledge, status, or character by one’s own efforts

Self denial is knowing no one promotes but the Father and it is choosing Him, then others over ourselves

Self improvement is ME/Goal oriented

Self denial is HIM/Process oriented

Self improvement has you as the main focus,

Self denial has HIM as the only focus

4. Authority

Matthew 7:18–29 NKJV

18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them. 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ 24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” 28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, 29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

The loudest are usually the weakest

If you want to teach with impact you have to come from a standpoint of spiritual authority

Jesus had to be submitted to the temple before he could go around remodeling it

If we can steward the tests that God gives us He will give us the ability to handle more

Matthew 25:28 NKJV

28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.

IF you don’t steward the hard decisions you face today, someone else will be forced to make them for you tomorrow

Dealing with attitudes

Respect is built on difficult Ground

Summary of Being a Pastor:

Teaching people to make Biblical decisions

Fixing the mess left behind by the decisions you should’ve made yesterday

No one likes making hard decisions

laissez-faire-: a philosophy or practice characterized by a usually deliberate abstention from direction or interference especially with individual freedom of choice and action

But God has called us to be better than our nature