Now what?
Notes
Transcript
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!” 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.
Introduction:
“The opportunity of a lifetime must be seized within the lifetime of the opportunity.”
— Leonard Ravenhill
Last week, we stood on holy ground. We heard the voice of God, felt the fire of His presence, and saw a glimpse of His vision for our lives and our church. But now we’re back in the valley. The shout has faded. The sanctuary lights are off. And the question in front of us is simple, but urgent: Now what?
In Genesis 15, after Abram’s victory and divine encounter, the Word of the Lord came to him again—not to congratulate him, but to call him deeper. God wasn’t finished. He was just getting started.
So it is with us. After all that God has done during Holy Convocation, this is not the time to return to spiritual autopilot. This is the moment to walk in what was released. This is the time to move from inspiration to activation, from hearing to doing, from being stirred to being sent.
Because God has called us to do great things—but not just great things in theory. Great things in your life. In your calling. In your gift. In your lane.
And as we'll see in tonight’s text, He doesn't need you to be a giant killer overnight—He needs you to walk faithfully with what He's already placed in your hands.
Let’s go back to the Word, and ask:
“What does walking in faith after the mountain really look like?”
God Has called us to do great things.
God Has called us to do great things.
12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.
32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Since we are called to do great things, you are called to do, and be a part of great things.
Since we are called to do great things, you are called to do, and be a part of great things.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
In the Church its not really about me. It is about Jesus.
In the Church its not really about me. It is about Jesus.
18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
Since it is about Jesus, we know that Jesus likes to show Himself through us.
Since it is about Jesus, we know that Jesus likes to show Himself through us.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
We cannot have a “we” without you!
We cannot have a “we” without you!
now it is time for us to seek God about what He wants us to do.
now it is time for us to seek God about what He wants us to do.
If we are going to take what last week was about seriously, we are going to have to walk in faith.
If we are going to take what last week was about seriously, we are going to have to walk in faith.
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.
There are four things here:
There are four things here:
If we are going to please God, we must do so in faith.
If we are going to please God, we must do so in faith.
It pleases God when we trust Him.
It pleases God when we trust Him.
He is.
He is.
He rewards those who diligently seek him.
He rewards those who diligently seek him.
27.35 ἐκζητέωa; ἐξεραυνάω: to exert considerable effort and care in learning something—‘to make a careful search, to seek diligently to learn, to make an examination.’
ἐκζητέωa: ὅπως ἂν ἐκζητήσωσιν οἱ κατάλοιποι τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὸν κύριον ‘so all other people will seek the Lord’ Ac 15:17.
ἐξεραυνάω: περὶ ἧς σωτηρίας ἐξεζήτησαν καὶ ἐξηραύνησαν προφῆται ‘it was concerning this salvation that the prophets made a careful search and investigation’ 1 Pe 1:10.
Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 330.
dil•i•gent \ˈdi-lə-jənt\ adjective
[Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin diligent-, diligens, from present participle of diligere to esteem, love, from di- (from dis- apart) + legere to select—more at LEGEND] 14th century: characterized by steady, earnest, and energetic effort: PAINSTAKING 〈a diligent worker〉 synonym see BUSY—dil•i•gent•ly adverb
The Lord wants to reward His people.
The Lord wants to reward His people.
For years, I wanted to perform.
I thought the best way to show God my gratitude for all He had done for me was to do more, give more, strive harder. But I never realized—I am His creation.
He created me (and you) to be who we are and to do what we were made to do.
I’m learning to stop striving and simply be who He created me to be.
Of course, I don’t have to try to be—I already am.
Likewise, I don’t have to force myself to do—I was gifted by God to do it.
And you, too, are created.
You don’t have to try to be—you are who God says you are.
You don’t have to force it—you are gifted by God to do what He placed in you.
Relax. Be at peace.
Allow the Holy Spirit to illuminate His grace in your life.
Let that grace flow through you to encourage and strengthen others.
My brothers and sisters, this is what ministry in the Body of Christ truly is:
God’s grace flowing from who He made you to be and what He gifted you to do, reaching others who desperately need the expression of those gifts.
The Lord does not expect us to just tell the Red Sea to part; He wants us to step into the next thing He has called us to do.
The Lord does not expect us to just tell the Red Sea to part; He wants us to step into the next thing He has called us to do.
1 Samuel 17:37 (NKJV)
37 Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”
King David did not start out as a giant killer, He started as a shepherd. He went from son and shepherd to king.
King David did not start out as a giant killer, He started as a shepherd. He went from son and shepherd to king.
When He comes to the valley were he will confront goliath, he did not come as a warrior, rather, he came as he was a shepherd.
When He comes to the valley were he will confront goliath, he did not come as a warrior, rather, he came as he was a shepherd.
The call of God for you and I is to come as we are.
The call of God for you and I is to come as we are.
David had no idea that being faithful as a shepherd for his father was preparing him to be a warrior to deliver the nation.
David had no idea that being faithful as a shepherd for his father was preparing him to be a warrior to deliver the nation.
The Lord prepared David and he did not even know that he was being prepared.
The Lord prepared David and he did not even know that he was being prepared.
For David, It started with the lion, then the bear. David had no clue Goliath was coming, yet still the giant came.
For David, It started with the lion, then the bear. David had no clue Goliath was coming, yet still the giant came.
God is preparing you and I now.
God is preparing you and I now.
I often shrink from walking in faith because I am worried about Goliath.
I often shrink from walking in faith because I am worried about Goliath.
God will prepare me with the lion and the bear before He ever allows me to face the giant.
God will prepare me with the lion and the bear before He ever allows me to face the giant.
Conclusion:
As a shepherd, when I look out tonight, I see a group of people with whom God desires relationship.
Of course, you believe that He is—otherwise, you wouldn’t be here on a Wednesday night.
But do you realize that you are an expression of God’s grace?
Do you know that some of the things you are gifted to do are miracles to others?
God wants to do things with you to demonstrate His power in the world.
Tonight, will you give your life and will to God—and say yes to what’s next?
