The End of Self
Notes
Transcript
PALCON was amazing — Pastor and Leader Conference, I learned a lot
Have you ever wrestled with God? — Mine is always like 2:00 AM!
My most recent match was over the question: Do I have what it takes to walk through the narrow gate?
Guess who won!
I have been told that every man reaches a point in their life where they ask that question.
Put another way they come to the end of themselves.
"Coming to the end of yourself" — generally is a state of recognizing your own limitations, weaknesses, and inability to achieve desired outcomes through personal effort alone.
Leading to a profound reliance on God’s spiritual guidance.
I wonder if that is what was going on in the life of Jacob when he wrestled with God
22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.
23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions.
24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.
25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man.
26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
27 The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered.
28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”
This is the word of God for the people of God…
Are you ready for the message God has for us today?
Jacob came to the end of himself
Jacob came to the end of himself
Westling with God was a spiritual journey, signifying a transition from self-reliance and manipulation to a deeper dependence on God.
The wrestling match came as Jacob was preparing to meet Esau and of course he could not go back to Laban
Why do you think God dislocated his hip?
Jacob would be reminded for the rest of his life that He had to rely upon God, not himself
Coming to the end of self
Coming to the end of self
When God is preparing us for what is next in our life we may find ourselves in a period where God will disciple by us coming to the end of ourselves.
That without God we don’t have what it takes — John 15:5
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
We cannot do anything without out God
This is a difficult lesson to learn, it forces us to think differently about our lives.
We are taught in the world to be self reliant, there really are very few people we can rely on, that will help us.
However, we can’t do Christian life on our own power.
Without Jesus we can do nothing.
Coming God more than self!
Coming God more than self!
We are like David when Samuel found him — Retell
6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.”
Surely this is the guy — Develop
God says — 1 Samuel 16:7
7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
All seven sons — Nothing
11 So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”
Notice the word for “youngest” — haqqatan
It means small, youngest, unimportant, insignificant, bellow average
There was nothing on the outside that told anyone David had what takes to be king — How might David have answered?
God says oh yeah he will have what what it takes because he has the heart for it — 1 Samuel 16:12
12 So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”
I remember when I was called to preach!
I had very little Bible knowledge nothing other than a High School education, yet he called, really?!
We need to let go of ourselves and let God show us what we can do!
Conclusion:
Did David have what it takes?
The Bible is filled with story after story of men and women who came to the end of themselves and that allowed God to use them in ways they could not have imagined.
We need to realize that we are all haqqatans, but look at what God can do with with insignificant people — Peter, Gideon, Abraham, Moses
These people were insignificant in the eyes of the world but not in the eyes of God — Hebrews 11:32-38
32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets,
33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,
34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.
35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection.
36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.
37 They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—
38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.
I have had to do this — I wrestled with the appearance that I have what it takes!
I needed to look inside and the only way that could have happened was to come to the end of myself.
I was relying on the god of me and not God almighty, I was standing in the weakness of my might and not on the power of His might
You know it’s that verse — Matthew 23:12
12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
That was me not so long ago, “I have what it takes, I’m not a haqqatan…” then God, “Oh really!”
It is amazing what God can do with a person who no longer relies on themselves.
Are you willing to let go of yourself and let God show you how He can use you?
Are willing to let go of your control and lay it on the altar before God?
God is inviting you to the altar!
