Dependence Upon The Lord - Lakeview

Intro

Pray

Title Slide

Defining Characteristics of a Christian: Love, Good works, Identity

The next defining characteristic of a Christian is: Dependence Upon The Lord.

By dependence, I mean reliance upon God to do His work, by His strength.

Sometimes our culture may define dependance as a weakness.

But in our service to the Lord dependance upon Him is a great strength.

We need to be dependent upon the Lord in order for our work here to have an eternal impact.

Black Slide

There is no other way we can make an eternal difference in our assignments, other than being dependent upon the Lord.

A few passages to help us.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

English Standard Version Chapter 12

7 So to keep me from becoming

English Standard Version Chapter 12

8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my

English Standard Version Chapter 12

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content (or take pleasure) with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Classic Story Arc

This passage follows a classic story arc:

Problem > Climax > Solution

Black Slide

Problem:

When we look at what Paul says prier to this passage we see that Paul had an amazing experience with the Lord.

We see it describe in more detail in Acts 9 .

And Paul has quite the list of credentials to his name.

All this could lead him to be very prideful.

Pauls hints at a couple of things in this passage that can impact our dependance on the Lord.

Pride vs humility, weakness

Becoming conceited (ESV),exulting myself (NASB95), becoming proud (NLT)

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 88.211 ὑπεραίρομαι

88.211 ὑπεραίρομαιa, hyperairo: to become puffed up with pride, with the probable implication of being disparaging toward others—‘to be overly proud, to be puffed up with pride, to feel overly self-confident.’ ἵνα μὴ ὑπεραίρωμαι ‘in order that I would not be puffed up with pride’

You know the saying that pride comes before the fall.

This passage illustrates an extreme situation.

Climax:

Thorn

God is brining Paul down a few notches in order for him to be totally dependent upon the Lord in order to face the negative situations he faces as a missionary.

We don’t know what the thorn in the flesh was. It was some kind of physical affliction from Satan allowed by the Lord.

Show photos of thorny trees on the prayer trail.

If you have ever had a thorn stuck in the sole of your shoe you know how a thorn can be quite irritating and painful.

I’ve been poked by countless thorns while crawling through the woods here in Texas. It seems every tree or bush is full of them.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 12:7–9

12:7–9. So that Paul would not forget this, God gave him a constant reminder of his weakness. Countless explanations concerning the nature of his thorn in the flesh have been offered.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 12:7–9

They range from incessant temptation, dogged opponents, chronic maladies (such as ophthalmia, malaria, migraine headaches, and epilepsy), to a disability in speech.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 12:7–9

No one can say for sure what his was, but it probably was a physical affliction (for the work of Satan in this, cf.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 12:7–9

But he learned from this experience the lesson that pervades this letter: divine power (My power, v. 8; Christ’s power, v. 9) is best displayed against the backdrop of human weaknesses (cf. 4:7) so that God alone is praised (10:17).

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 12:7–9

Rather than removing the problem God gave him grace in it. This grace is sufficient (arkei, i.e., adequate in the sense of providing contentment). (The Gr. words trans. to keep me from becoming conceited occur in 12:7 twice, at the beginning and end of the verse. The NIV translates only the first one.)

I love Paul’s response is vs 10.

I don’t want to become prideful to the point that God has to give me thorn. I’d rather learn from Paul’s experience, than learn the hard way.

Not having my name with my photos.

They are the Lord’s photos, not mine.

2 Corinthians 12:10 “Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Also in vs 10 it’s important to note that Paul is content or delights with weakness. I think some of the other English versions translate the Greek a little better.

Solution:

The New King James Version Chapter 12

Therefore I take pleasure

English Standard Version Chapter 12

with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

In the military we would say embrace the suck.

Paul is choosing to accept the difficulties in ministry.

We have to remember that Satan is not going to make it easy for us to serve the Lord.

We are in a spiritual battle, where our enemy is actively doing everything he can to distracts us or hinder us in our service to the Lord.

Here is another passage that encourages me to be dependent upon the Lord.

1 Corinthians 3:11–15

English Standard Version Chapter 3

11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one’s work will become manifest,

English Standard Version Chapter 3

for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.

English Standard Version Chapter 3

15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

Our foundation, dependance, is on Jesus alone. Anything else will have zero eternal value.

That is a great motivator for me to be totally depend upon the Lord for all I do.

Thats why I’m here. I want my life to have the greatest eternal impact as possible.

Black Slide

I want to know God and make Him known.

1 John 5:14–15

English Standard Version Chapter 5

14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him,

Here is the concepts of dependance I glean from this passage.

First, we must be Christians, bond servants of God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Second, If that is true, then we know that we can ask the Lord for anything within His will.

Not from our own selfish motives.

Our motivation is our love, His love flowing through us.

Bond Servant > Ask in His Will > He will answer

God has given you an assignment. I prefer assignment over calling.

He will provide all the resources you “need” to accomplish His assignment.

Often we will be stretched in the process.

This is dependance on the Lord.

We have to realize that we can’t do His work by our strength.

Black Slide

God provides all we need to do His work.

God sent the Holy Spirit.

We are to love the Lord with all our heart, mind and strength.

We are to love our neighbor as ourselves.

We are to love one another.

We are to know God and make Him known.

Our very identity is rooted and grounded in Him.

We are to share the Gospel here and around the world, making disciples and baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

A daunting list!

Jesus is with us always. He enables us to do it all by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Application

So how do we apply this here and now?

Check our pride.

Or any other negative attitudes that hinder us.

We are not God’s gift to the world in anything.

Be willing to suffer.

Remember we are at war with the enemy to win souls.

Fighting spiritual battles is not going to be easy.

Often the Lord ask us to do something that is way outside our comfort zone.

He provides all the resources we need.

Those resources can be:

Mentors, teachers, or friends. Pastors, elders. Opportunities. Circumstances. Time. Energy. Talents. Abilities. Spiritual Gifts. …

And Prayer!

Don’t be afraid to ask others to pray for you, for advise, and for help.

Fellow warriors in Christ are often used by the Lord to enable us to do His work and ministry.

Take a moment and think about something the Lord may be asking you to do that you know that you don’t have the natural talents or ability to do accomplish. Ask the Lord for His power to do it.

60 sec silence

Closing prayer.

Benediction

Ephesians 3:20–21 “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”