The Power In Understanding

INTRO

HAVE YOU EVER NOT UNDERSTOOD SOMEONE AND IT CREATED TROUBLE FOR YOU AND THEM?

MAYBE IN YOUR…

MARRIAGE

WORK

ANOTHER RELATIONSHIP

PARENTING…

I BELIEVE THE SIMPLE TRUTH IS THAT IF WE UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT SOMETHING OR SOMEONE THERE IS POWER UNLOCKED.

THE SAME IS TRUE ABOUT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS.

PAUL UNDERSTOOD THIS AS HE WROTE TO TIMOTHY IN EPHESIANS AS HE STARTED HIS JOURNEY WITH THE LORD AND LEADING OTHERS.

Ephesians 1:15–18 NLT

Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 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. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

PAUL WAS URGING TIMOTHY TO GAIN UNDERSTANDING OF WHO JESUS WAS AND WHO TIMOTHY IS IN THE LORD.

TODAY I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE POWER THAT IS UNLOCKED WHEN WE UNDERSTAND THE LORD AND WHO WE ARE IN HIM….AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE MISUNDERSTAND WHO JESUS IS AND WHO WE ARE IN HIM.

WE ARE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT AN ACCOUNT IN MATTHEW 17 THAT I BELIEVE IS ALL ABOUT JESUS TRYING TO UNLOCK THE POWER OF UNDERSTANDING FOR HIS DISCIPLES AND FOR US TODAY.

Matthew 17:14–21 NLT

At the foot of the mountain, a large crowd was waiting for them. A man came and knelt before Jesus and said, “Lord, have mercy on my son. He has seizures and suffers terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. So I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.” Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” Then Jesus rebuked the demon in the boy, and it left him. From that moment the boy was well. Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, “Why couldn’t we cast out that demon?” “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”

MAIN POINT

TWO THOUGHTS ON THE POWER OF UNDERSTANDING.

1. A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING COMPROMISES POWER

A. THE DISCIPLES HAVE LITTLE POWER BECAUSE OF THEIR LACK OF UNDERSTANDING.

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B. THE HAD A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF WHO JESUS WAS STILL AND BECAUSE OF THAT THEY HAD A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF WHO THEY WERE IN CHRIST.

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C. WHEN WE LACK THAT UNDERSTANDING, WE DON’T ENJOY ITS POWER AND BENEFITS.

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D. WHEN I WAS YOUNGER IN MY FAITH I HAD NO IDEA THE POWER I HAD IN ME TO OVERCOME THE HARDSHIPS IN MY LIFE WITH THE NAME OF JESUS.

EXCUSE FOR NOT BEING IN MINISTRY.

GREATER IS HE THAT LIVES IN ME THAN THE WORLD

1 John 4:4 NLT

But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.

I WAS FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE

Psalm 139:14 ESV

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

I WAS CALLED TO PREACH AND DECLARE HIS WORD AND NOTHING WOULD STOP THAT

E. THERE HAVE BEEN MOMENTS AND SEASONS THAT I LET A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF WHO GOD WAS AND IS STOPE ME FROM THE POWER AND FREEDOM THAT HE HAD FOR ME.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

WHERE ARE YOU LETTING A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING LIMIT YOU POWER?

HOW CAN WE GROW IN THE UNDERSTANDING OF WHO GOD IS AND WHO WE ARE IN HIM TO UNLOCK THAT POWER IN OUR LIVES?

2. HAVING UNDERSTANDING BRING CONFIDENCE

A. JESUS WANTED THE DISCIPLES TO UNDERSTAND THE AUTHORITY AND POWER THEY HAD.

Matthew 17:20 NLT

“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”

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B. THEY WERE STILL GROWING IN THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF WHO JESUS WAS AND THE AUTHORITY AND POWER HE HAS AND BECAUSE OF JESUS THAT WE HAVE THAT SAME POWER.

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C. THE DISCIPLES ASKED, “WHY COULDN’T WE DRIVE IT OUT?”

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D. WHAT ARE WE MISSING? WHAT DON’T WE HAVE?

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E. IT’S NOT A MATTER OF WHAT YOU’RE MISSING BUT A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE.

F. PAUL SAYS IN EPHESIANS 1:19 THAT THE SAME POWER THAT RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD IS IN EACH OF US.

Ephesians 1:19–20 NLT

I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

G. THIS IS WHY JESUS SAYS WE CAN MOVE A MOUNTAIN WITH A MUSTARD SEED WORTH OF FAITH.

H. THINK ABOUT HOW CRAZY THIS SOUNDS.

Matthew 17:20 NLT

“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”

I. WHEN WE READ THIS WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE?

NO WAY..

LAUGH A LITTLE..

?

J. JESUS WAS SAYING THAT IF YOU UNDERSTOOD WHO HE IS AND WHO YOU ARE IN HIM YOU WOULD HAVE THAT KIND OF FAITH.

a. HOW CAN EXPECT GOD TO MOVE MOUNTAINS WHEN WE DON’T TRUST HIM WITH OUR CAREER OR OUR FINANCES.

K. OUR UNDERSTANDING OF JESUS TRANSLATES INTO GREAT FAITH IN WHAT WE CAN DO IN HIS NAME.

L. GREAT FAITH TRANSLATES INTO GREAT CONFIDENCE.

A. WHEN I UNDERSTAND SOMETHING I GAIN SO MUCH CONFIDENCE..

B. PROVERBS 3:5-6

Proverbs 3:5–6 NLT

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

C. THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE SHOULD DESIRE IS NOT SITUATIONAL, IT IS RELATIONAL.

RESULT: RESULT OF INFO

GO BACK TO THE WORD OF GOD AND READ ABOUT WHO JESUS IS AND WHO I AM

Ephesians 2:1–10 ESV

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

IINLOOK

CHALLENGE: PERSONAL CHALLENGE

WHERE DO YOU NOT BELIEVE THAT GOD CAN DO SOMETHING IN OUR THROUGH YOU?

CONCLUSION/CLOSE

I BEGAN WITH A QUESTION ASKING, “HAVE YOU EVER LACKED UNDERSTANDING ABOUT SOMETHING OR SOMEONE AND IT HURT YOU?

MAYBE IT’S IN YOUR…

FINANCES

MARRIAGE

PARENTING

ANOTHER RELATIONSHIP.

MAYBE THE ANSWER IS IN UNDERSTANDING THAT PERSON MORE…BUT MAYBE THERE IS MORE.

MAYBE IT’S MORE ABOUT YOU AND I UNDERSTANDING WHO JESUS IS AND WHO WE ARE IN HIM.