Courageous Obedience II
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I have three questions for us to answer as we continue in .
Courageous Obedience II (GO)
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I have three questions for us to answer as we continue in .
1) True or false? God accomplishes what we perceive to be impossible things?
2) True or false? God accomplishes impossible things through people?
3) True or false? God accomplishes impossible things through people who have failed?
But why is it true? Why does God choose to use people who have sinned, who have failed, who have weaknesses …?
I have two axioms (true statements) for you.
Axiom #1 - God accomplishes impossible things through people who have failed - because there aren’t any other kind of people.
If God accomplishes impossible things through people (and that is His way), then whom does He have to choose from other than people who have failed? Find one person throughout history whom God has used to accomplish His purposes who has not failed at time or another? Whether it’s financial, moral, physical or spiritual failure - everyone whom God has ever used has been a failure at something.
Which tells me God can accomplish impossible things through whom? Every person in this room.
Axiom #2 - God accomplishes impossible things through people who have failed - because God is a great God.
And His greatness is greater than all our failures put together.
“Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.
- Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard (difficult) for you.
- Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us …
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
- Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us …
What does this tell us about God? It tells us that God can accomplish impossible things through people who have failed because God is a greater than any of our failures. He is greater than our weaknesses. He is greater than our handicaps. He is greater than our past. He is greater than our excuses. He is greater than anything we can throw at Him.
What does this tell us about God? It tells us that God can accomplish impossible things through people who have failed because God is a greater than any of our failures. He is greater than our weaknesses. He is greater than our handicaps. He is greater than our past. He is greater than our excuses. He is greater than anything we can throw at Him.
Nothing is too difficult for our God and if He is calling you to go, if He is telling you to begin something (i.e. a ministry or outreach), if He is asking you to talk to “those people,” if God is asking you to __________, then guess what - you can do it. If God is behind it, then is true ...
He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
is true - “Nothing will be impossible for you.”
I like what Chip Ingram wrote in his book Good to Great in God’s Eyes:
I like what Chip Ingram wrote in his book Good to Great in God’s Eyes: “God delights … to do IMPOSSIBLE things … through IMPROBABLE people … to IMPART exceeding grace … to UNDESERVING recipients” - Chip Ingram
“God delights … to do IMPOSSIBLE things … through IMPROBABLE people … to IMPART exceeding grace … to UNDESERVING recipients” - Chip Ingram
Does this mean we can accomplish anything we want? No. What it means is that we can accomplish anything that God calls us to accomplish, but the problem is too many of us are either content with status quo, or disobedient, or immobilized by fear.
You’re not going to see the impossible when you’re content with living a spiritually status quo life, when you’re living in disobedience or when immobilized by fear.
Let me read that again: “God delights to do IMPOSSIBLE things through IMPROBABLE people to IMPART exceeding grace to UNDESERVING recipients.”
“God delights to do IMPOSSIBLE things through IMPROBABLE people to IMPART exceeding grace to UNDESERVING recipients.”
Doesn’t that summarize the entire book of Jonah? God wanted to do an impossible work through an improbable prophet to impart exceeding grace to the undeserving people of Nineveh.
That’s what God wanted to do - but what was the hindrance? Was it the Ninevites? No! Was it God - was He asking too much? No! Was it the mission? It was mission impossible to the max? No! So what was the problem? The problem was Jonah! He was the only hindrance for God to do an impossible work.
You know what I’ve discovered. Of all the things that God wanted to accomplish through me during the past 46 years - the number one hindrance to God - was me. Whether it was disobedience, fear, laziness or unbelief - I was and still am the greatest hindrance to God doing the impossible in my life.
The great evangelist and pastor D.L. Moody was once asked which people gave him the most trouble in his ministry. His response was,
“I’ve had more trouble with Dwight L. Moody than any other man alive.” ~ D.L. Moody
Understand, if you want to see God do impossible things to impart exceeding grace to undeserving people - He will need to use improbable people - meaning you and me - because there aren’t any other people available.
I want you to believe that God can accomplish the impossible through you - and let me show you what I mean.
If you remember from last week, we wanted to know two things from ) WHAT GOD EXPECTS. Which is what?
1) WHAT GOD EXPECTS
- Which is what?
1) WHAT GOD EXPECTS
Courageous obedience
This week, we want to know
2) WHAT GOD ACHIEVES
- and what I mean by that is this - what does God do, what does God accomplish, what’s the result of our obedience.
So let’s look at .
Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”
Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.
And then verse
When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.
And then verse When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.
When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.
So what did God achieve? What happened because of Jonah’s obedience? God does a lot of things when we obey, but I believe two things stand out.
So what did God achieve? What happened because of Jonah’s obedience? God does a lot of things when we obey, but I believe two things stand out.
1) God is Gloried
When we obey, God is glorified which means He is made much of. To glorify means to ascribe greatness to God - He gets the credit, and He becomes the center of attention.
When we love our spouses in a godly way, when we raise our children in a godly home, when we manage our money and other resources according to God’s Word, when we are the kind of employee or neighbor that obeys God, people notice and God is gloried and when God is gloried, what happens?
And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
Jesus said, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” This was in reference to His crucifixion, I also believe it was in reference to His ascension but I believe it goes beyond that - that when we lift Him up, God is glorified, and when God is glorified what happens?
This was in reference to His crucifixion, I also believe it was in reference to His ascension but I believe it goes beyond that - that when we lift Him up, God is glorified, and when God is glorified what happens?
2) Lives are Changed
Look at what God did through a wayward, disobedient cowardly prophet who finally decided to obey. Thousands of lives were saved because of Jonah’s courageous obedience. Thousands of people, including the king fasted and repented and lives were changed.
We may not experience the instant results that Jonah experienced, but the truth is still the same - God always wants to and will change lives. He wants to and will transform and save and renew etc. But He does that through obedient people. God changes people through people
That’s all good, I believe God can use other people - but not me. I don’t have what it takes. You know what? You are absolutely correct - you don’t have what it takes. None of us do. And neither did Jonah.
This amazing redemptive event that took place in Nineveh was NOT accomplished because Jonah had all the right stuff. Seriously - look at his sermon! You think my sermons are bad! Jonah’s sermon has got to be the worst sermon ever. “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” How compelling is that! It’s not even long enough to take a nap!
But seriously, if it wasn’t Jonah and it wasn’t a compelling message that changed their lives, then what was it? What was it that so deeply moved these wicked people to repent and turn to God?
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (don’t try to make sense of what I’m asking you to do). As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
Jonah said exactly what God wanted him to say - no more and no less - and it was precisely what the Ninevites needed to hear. It didn’t need to be anymore compelling. Jonah didn’t need to add any of his own charisma. It wasn’t about the messenger or the message itself, but rather it was about God working through an obedient servant to achieve what God wanted to achieve.
Jonah said exactly what God wanted him to say - no more and no less - and it was precisely what the Ninevites needed to hear. It didn’t need to be anymore compelling. Jonah didn’t need to add any of his own charisma. It wasn’t about the messenger or the message itself, but rather it was about God working through an obedient servant to achieve what God wanted to achieve.
Want to see changed lives? Want to see our community to change? Then begin to live in courageous obedience. God changes lives through the only way He has ever changed lives - and that is through people - through you and me.
Still don’t believe me that God can use you? Listen to
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep … (may God do what?) equip (to make someone completely adequate or sufficient) you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
“God delights to do IMPOSSIBLE things through IMPROBABLE people to IMPART exceeding grace to UNDESERVING recipients”
“God delights to do IMPOSSIBLE things through IMPROBABLE people to IMPART exceeding grace to UNDESERVING recipients”
Start believing that God wants to do impossible things through you to impart grace to others
Start believing that God is greater than your failures and weaknesses
Start believing that God will equip you to achieve His purposes
Pray